


A Forgotten Past

by NeonFlower



Category: Corpse Party (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Drama, F/M, Family, Fanchild: Ami Kishinuma, Fanchildren, Fanchildren: Mochida siblings, Major Character Injury, Original Character(s), Survival Horror, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 12:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 30,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3447035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonFlower/pseuds/NeonFlower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the five survivors had escaped the hell they called Heavenly Host, a mysterious creature has appeared, bringing back a familiar face. With families to protect, will the five survivors be able to survive the school one more time? Or will they join their fallen friends?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beast gives no Mercy

_Time will run out._

Nearing the abandoned school entrance, he raised his arm, snapping his fingers as the door flew open for the first time. The force holding the school together was disturbed.

_You must run._

The core, long in slumber, awoke, her one good eye flashing open as she felt the school shiver. She was angered. She sneered as she faded out of the underground bomb shelter.

_Your friends got lucky._

He ignored the school’s many spaces fluttering at the sudden intrusion. It would certainly collapse from the shift in energy. He could sense the many spirits roaming the hallways, forever trapped here under the curse that she had created.

_They died under her control._

Suddenly, before him, she appeared. The core, the very being that held this dimension together. She was joined by two other spirits, her assailants that helped her murder and torture those that entered the blood-ridden hallways.

“Leave!” She demanded with an angry tone, raising her arm in a threatening matter.

“Foolish children, you shouldn’t play with fire,” He replied calmly, before rising onto two feet, his talons out to his sides as his throat lit up with bright violet. His jaws opened as violet flames were unleashed at them. She wasn’t expecting it to actually hurt, the bright flames surrounding them, trapping them.

“You aren’t the core I was searching for, you’re a fake, a replacement for the machine,” He retorted, his voice carrying over the cracking of the flames. They couldn’t escape. The fire was pulling at their abilities.

“Now, step down!” He roared out, raising one of his arms, his hand engulfed in a green ball of energy, what seemed to be a powerful substance. Her one eye widened, stepping before the other two spirits as he brought his talons forth, slicing through the three of them as the green energy absorbed into their transparent bodies.

She felt intense burning, even more than the fire surrounding them. She could feel the school shake and shiver as she dropped to her knees. Whatever the creature had used, she was disappearing, feeling her powers weaken as she was ripped away from the school’s heart. The other two had long since disappeared, not being strong enough to withstand the magic’s forces.

When the three children disappeared, he slammed one of his hands down onto the rotting floorboards, the fire dying down, eventually dissipating without a trace.

_You will not be so lucky._

The school, without a core to take control, started to shake with great ferocity, floors breaking apart as objects dropped. He dropped to all fours, raising both of his arms, before slamming his hands down again, a wave of powerful energy pulsing out, away from him.

When the wave settled down, the whole school stopped.

The spaces were cleared away.

The eternity of pain was gone.

He stood, his head swaying around, until a smile crossed his mouth.

The other spirits didn’t know how to react to the drastic change in atmosphere when he entered. With their core gone, they did not know what to do. They could sense his higher levels of magical energy, much more than their core.

He was not to be messed with. His glowing green eyes were menacing enough, but the reptilian skull that topped the upper half of his head could strike fear in the most fearless beings. His long, slender body was serpent-like, covered in black, oozing tar. His arms were thin, hands only aided with three fingers; all ended with long, sharp talons. The back of his head had long, twisted horns, poisoned quills poking out of his shoulder blades, cheeks, chest, and the tip of his tail.

_Protect those that you love most._

He seemed like death itself; the many bleached skeletons and decomposing corpses that littered the hallways and classrooms were not affecting him. In fact, he seemed to be welcoming them. They brought him satisfaction, seeing that these humans were gone, never to come back again.

As he wandered through the hallways, breaking open locked doors and blasting out the seemingly-decoration windows, he had come upon the underground bomb shelter.

_It might be your last moments together._

He wasn’t lost; he was marking his territory, breaking open anything and everything that stood in his way. The trap doors that hid among the floors couldn’t fool him. Slamming his hand down, the doors opened up, swaying at the sudden force. The system that held them together was broken.

_Say your last goodbyes._

The smell of blood was inviting to him, the torture chamber having been abandoned since she had disappeared. It was closed off, the iron door’s lock having long since rusted off, forcing it shut.

_Maybe someday, you will see each other._

When he reached the burial sight, the very heart of the school, the cold air was washed away as he entered. Even for being a spirit himself, his body was like molten lava, the heat radiating around him. Nearing the empty grave, he shook his head.

_Not even heaven can reach us._

“Little Shinozaki, such a shame you were appeased,” He started, all the while raising one of his hands, a spark of green light swirling around in his palm.

“I, however, need you to return. I must seek revenge on the five that ridded you from your post. I think you would like to do the same…” He continued, the green light growing larger as his hand swayed around it.

“The school will lose its abilities, but to feel the right ideals of their deaths, it is only necessary…” He was muttering now, his voice still so calm and collected.

“…And then, and only then… will we feel our revenge come together as one,” He stopped, letting the green orb of light travel down into the empty grave. From inside, the light exploded, rays of different colors showering outward.

_We pray for all of you…_


	2. To the Brightest of Mornings to the Darkest of Nights

She woke up with a cold sweat, panting heavily, her eyes wide. She rose up, still panting as she pressed a hand to her temple. A growing headache was coming to her.

The faint visions and familiar voices all plagued her mind as she settled down. She could hear thunder outside, in the distance. The wind was blowing hard, pressing up against the side their bedroom was facing.

Suddenly, she gasped when the figure next to her shuffled the covers to their bed, rising up. He quickly turned the nightstand lamp on, light brought to the dark room.

“Ayumi? Sweetheart, is everything okay?” He turned to her, worry stricken across his face. She hesitated to tell him the truth. Whatever she had envisioned in her slumbering mind was alarming her greatly.

“I’m fine Yoshiki, please go back to sleep. You have work in the morning,” She reassured him, not wanting him to lose sleep because of her.

“I don’t know… you just woke up panting heavily. Are you sure you’re okay?” He pressed on, leaning in closer.

“It was just a nightmare, okay? We all get those, don’t we?” She kind of told the truth. It felt nightmarish to her, but at the same time, it felt too real.

“Well yes… You’re not dreaming about… that again? Are you?” He tilted his head, his worry deepening for her. It didn’t occur as much anymore, but she would dream of their horrible past, reliving the hell they endured during their high school years.

“No…” She shook her head, trailing off as her gaze shifted to the opposite wall. He frowned, his brows furrowing.

“Don’t lie to me, Ayumi,” He replied, his voice stern. She let out a deep sigh.

“I’m fine, _really_ ,” She emphasized, and he didn’t have the energy to keep fighting her. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he turned to shut the lamp off.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder and a flash of lightning caused the lamp to turn off on its own.

“Dammit, the power went out,” He mumbled under his breath, but she heard it.

“Ugh,” She groaned. They couldn’t do anything to fix the power outage though. Living in an apartment complex, they didn’t have control over the electricity of the area.

Another loud boom of thunder and flash of lightning struck across the skies, the rain finally coming down in a heavy down pour.

“Mommy! Daddy!” A shriek from the other room caught the adult’s attention. A small silhouette ran into their bedroom, quickly hoping onto their bed before they could get the chance to get up.

“Ami! Sweetheart, it’s only a thunderstorm!” Yoshiki was quick to aid the child, letting her hide her face in his chest while he wrapped his arms around her small form.

“But it’s loud and scary!” She looked up at him with big eyes, her own arms tightening around the plush animal she had brought with her.

Their daughter had a fear of many things, especially thunderstorms. She’s very skittish as she grew up, looking to her parents to console her through her fears. Even being at the age of eight, she wasn’t as explorative as her peers; but what she lacked in the sense of adventure, she made up for it in her learning skills. She was a very smart girl at heart, taking in information and quickly learning the lesson at hand. She was also much calmer than many of her peers, as well as had a high respect for her parents.

Another flash of lightning and crack of thunder caused the girl to whimper and nuzzle into her father’s chest. Ayumi was quick to rub the girl’s back, just trying to reassure her daughter that everything was okay.

“Do you want to sleep with us tonight?” Yoshiki murmured to Ami, and the girl raised her head, her face beaming. She didn’t even answer him; she went between the two and covered herself over with the blankets.

“Guess that answers your question,” Ayumi murmured as she settled back into bed, Yoshiki doing the same. The headache that had formed earlier had not gone away, but she ignored it with the best of her abilities. She huddled close to her daughter, feeling Yoshiki wrap an arm around the both of them.

“You’re too protective of us, you know that?” She smirked at him, and he chuckled softly.

“Only because I love you both so much,” He replied, and she couldn’t help but smile. She felt herself drift off to sleep soon after, the thunderstorm outside growing faint.

_Meanwhile, on the other side of Japan…_

Satoshi woke up suddenly, taking in a sharp gasp. Something plagued his mind while he was sleeping, but everything was so faint and quiet, he couldn’t exactly tell what he had seen.

But, something about his dream seemed too familiar, a fading memory.

Fortunately, his awakening didn’t cause the figure next to him to wake. He couldn’t blame her. Both were under lots of stress, especially with the new arrival of their third child.

He shifted his body so that he was facing her. He could tell she was suffering horrible exhaustion; their newborn son was keeping her up most of the night.

He reached out, brushing her chestnut locks out of her face. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead gently before settling back down to sleep.

But, the dream he had was looming over him, haunting his thoughts. Something about it was so oddly familiar. He couldn’t concentrate on his thoughts anymore though, his eyes closed as he fell back to sleep.

_The next morning…_

Yoshiki was dressed in his normal working clothes, a casual button-up shirt and the cleanest pair of jeans he owned. He was still suspicious of his wife’s behavior from the night before, but he would only bring it up if it was necessary.

The storm had long since passed, the smell of rain filtering through the apartment. Ayumi was already up and in the kitchen, preparing a small breakfast for Ami, the young girl at her mother‘s side. For being calm natured, she certainly had an appetite.

Passing his wife, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pecked her on the cheek. Ayumi giggled, but Ami let out a gagging noise. He smirked, turning and walking to the fridge. They didn’t have coffee very often, as the two tried to keep their budget low so they could afford other extremities. He pulled out the milk carton, and grabbed a glass from the cabinet above.

“Oh, honey?” Ayumi suddenly broke the silence between the small family, the dirty blonde turned to her.

“Yes?” He asked as he sat down at the kitchen table.

“Can you pick Ami up from school? I’m planning to go to that job orientation… I might be there way past her school hours,” She didn’t turn his direction, still focused on Ami’s breakfast.

“Of course, I should be off before she get’s out,” He obliged. Soon after, Ami set her breakfast down onto the table, starting to indulge in it. He saw Ayumi turn the corner, exiting the kitchen. His guess was she was getting dressed, still being in her pajamas.

To Yoshiki, he didn’t mind their small life-style. It was a bit tough, when money ran short, but they were getting by with what they had. He had a few small jobs, never able to go to college after graduating from high school. Ayumi had graduated from her art university when Ami was five. Now, the woman was searching for a suitable job. She was planning to get hired by a nearby high school, the education center in need of an art teacher.

Ami was their source of pride and joy. Initially, the child was an unexpected obstacle in their lives, but they loved her with all their hearts. Her smile could lighten anybody’s mood, especially her father’s. He would come home, exhausted and on the verge of breaking down from the constant harassment of his bosses. She would always be there though, brightening his mood.

Yoshiki, feeling it was his responsibility, was extremely protective of his wife and child. Ayumi didn’t mind his efforts, knowing that there was someone close to her that would beat a man’s face in if he dared touched her inappropriately. She wasn’t one for violence, but liked the idea that she was looked after.

Yoshiki sipped at his glass, finding solace in the initial silence of the apartment…

_Elsewhere…_

Satoshi walked out, in a casual suit for his job. The living room of the small home they accompanied was surprisingly empty, especially with having three children, all under the age of ten. He could only guess that they were still dressing themselves for school that day.

His guess was proven when his two eldest children ran out, dressed in their appropriate attire. He wasn’t expecting them to tackle his legs, both wrapping themselves around them. He almost fell, but managed to stay balanced so he wouldn’t harm them.

“Hi daddy!” Both chorused their greetings. He chuckled, patting the children on the heads. They didn’t seem to keen on letting his legs go, no matter how much he really wanted them to.

Aya was their eldest child, and only daughter. Being at the age of seven, she had a very energetic and adventurous personality, always being outside when she played. Shigeru, or nicknamed ’RuRu’, was the complete opposite of his older sister. He was a year younger than his sister, but seemed to be the less noisy one. He was often quiet, being more of a listener than a speaker. Even for being so young, he could easily sit through someone talking, and hear what they had to say. Even if he didn’t understand what they were talking about most of the time.

Koji was the youngest child of their family, only being two weeks old. He might not have much of personality because of his age, but his parent’s could easily identify him as a fussy infant.

“Is your mother still with baby Koji?” Satoshi asked the two children, and Aya nodded vigorously. They finally let go of his legs, standing before him. Aya started to fidget with something in her pocket, and he blinked.

“Aya, are you okay?” He asked, and she nodded, smiling.

“We wanna give you something!” She exclaimed, finally pulling something small from her dress pocket. He couldn’t see what it was, her hand hiding the object. She raised her arm, finally showing what it was. It was a small glass bottle, attached to a thin, red ribbon. Inside this said bottle, were lightly-colored green beads. He knew of these little trinkets, his younger sister stilled collected them to this day. He knew that each one had some sort of meaning to it, either it be protecting the holder or showing some other emotion.

“We want you to have this daddy… We thought it’d be really nice for you to have one,” Aya replied, and he smiled, leaning down to their level. His younger sister, Yuka, had recently visited the household, wanting to see her new nephew. She would always bring gifts for the other two children, so these scented beads were probably from her.

“Is there a reason behind them?” He asked, taking the beads gently from his daughter’s hand. He smells a faint odor of spearmint from inside.

“Aunty Yuka says their supposed to protect you,” Aya acknowledged, and he rose an eye-brow.

“Protect me? From what?”

“The monstas! There’s scary monstas out there daddy!” Shigeru stepped in this time. Satoshi couldn’t help but smile at their innocence. They probably meant his boss and co-workers. When he had taken the children to his work-place a few months ago, his fellow employee’s really scared them.

He let out a soft chuckled, placing the beads in his coat pocket. He patted both children on the head.

“Why don’t you two go into the kitchen, I’ll see if mommy is up to making you two some breakfast,” He rose back up, and both children nodded and ran off towards the kitchen.

Walking down the hallway, the door to the nursery was cracked slightly, dim light from inside shining through. He opened it quietly, afraid that the baby might be asleep. He saw his wife on the chair next to the crib, nursing the child. He head rose up when he walked in.

“How is he?” He whispered, leaning down before her. Naomi smiled softly.

“He’s doing just fine. He was a little fussy earlier, but he’s calmed down now that he’s nursing,” She whispered back, rubbing the infant’s back through the blanket that was covering her chest. Naomi wasn’t insecure about nursing in her own home, Koji was less of a problem to nurse with a blanket covering him. Neither of the parents knew why, but they would do whatever they could for him to eat properly.

“I guess you’re a bit busy right now… so I’ll go and prepare for some breakfast for the other two,” He murmured.

“I would love to… but… yeah,” She frowned. She hated not being able to tend to her other two children. She was quite thankful he was around to help fill in the spots she couldn’t. Satoshi rose back up, quickly kissing her forehead before turning around and walking out quietly.

Ten minutes passed, and both of the older children were finishing up the small breakfast her had prepared for them. He knew he would have to leave soon, work would start in another hour.

Naomi had come out from the hallway as he headed towards the front door, baby Koji in her arms as he slept. She wouldn’t have to work at her job for another week, as she was still on leave. Naomi was an assistant nurse at the city’s hospital. She had graduated medical school three years before any of their children were born, and loved her job.

He walked over to her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist. He hated being away from his family, especially when she had three children to take care of on limited hours of sleep.

“I’ll try to be back before dark,” He whispered to her, pressing his forehead against hers.

“Okay…” She murmured back, her eyes downcast. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, pulling away moments later. He turned, heading for the doorway to head off to his job…

Yoshiki was broken from his thoughts when he felt a deep, pulsating rumble go through the apartment. Ami stopped from her breakfast, looking around wearily.

Suddenly, every started to shake; objects that weren’t heavy started to fall from the counter top, cabinets swung open, glass plates falling and shattered on the tile floor.

“Ami!” He yelled to her.

“Daddy!” She shrieked, panicking as the loud sounds were causing her to freak out. Yoshiki lunged from his seat, and ran over to her, grabbing her and dropping to the floor. He held her in his arms, leaning over her smaller body to shield her from falling objects and rubble.

Ayumi gasped as the bedroom shook. Her first instinct was her to drop the floor and cover her head. There was nothing to hide under. All she could do was pray that nothing would fall on her. Luckily, she had managed to get on clothes, so her back wasn’t bare to broken glass or other sharp objects. She could hear personal items falling from the nightstand and drawers.

Satoshi stopped abruptly when the house started to shake. His first actions were to keep his family safe. He turned quickly, lunging over to Aya and Shigeru, holding them in his arms as all they sunk to the floor. Naomi had hit the floor as well, holding Koji close to her chest in a tight hold.

When they thought it was over, Ayumi rose slightly, looking at the damage the earthquake had caused.

Then, without warning, the floor beneath her broke apart, a black abyss beneath her.

_And all went black…_


	3. The Haunting Memories come Flooding Back

Heavenly Host Elementary shook and shivered as a new group of victims entered the dimension. The spirits that roamed the empty hallways and classrooms could sense the group, some feeling dread as they thought of the group’s fate.

One thing seemed off however.

The pain, the very moment they all died.

Was gone.

It was no longer a constant reminder of their demise.

For the first time, they did not feel agony.

The previous core, Yuki Kanno, had been forcefully removed of her duties as the new Sachiko. When she reawakened, her clothes were no longer stained with red, nor did she feel the immense powers she once possessed. The other two children were with her, looking down at her with worry on their faces.

_Faces?_

Yuki realized, that the creature that entered the school had removed the eternity of pain factor from the curse. Not only that, but the spirits would return to their original form, before they died. She could see now. Her once missing eye, was back. Her clothes were not torn apart from years of wear. The other two children also looked normal. The only way they knew they were dead was the blue-ish glow, and transparent bodies. All three could sense the group’s arrival as well. But something was familiar about their auras. Well, most of them. Four of them were unfamiliar to the ghost children.

Elsewhere, in the school, four spirits felt confused. They could also sense the familiar auras. They knew these people from long ago…

Ayumi awoke slowly, feeling a dull pain all throughout her body. She must’ve fallen, she guessed. Rising up, she held her head again, the headache still present and growing stronger. The air was much thicker than before.

The smell of old, rotting wood… and faint blood was everywhere.

Her eyes widened when she realized her location.

Glancing around the room, it was a classroom. The walls were soaked in dried blood, small school chairs and desks were knocked over or broken apart. Holes were everywhere in the floorboards beneath. The atmosphere was all to familiar to her.

A loud crack of thunder and flash of lightning lit the room up. Fortunately, to her luck, there weren’t any corpses or skeletal remains.

She felt herself starting to hyperventilate, but she had to stay calm. She can’t let her guard down in this place. Taking a few deep breaths, she rose fully to her feet, taking in her surroundings. She could sense a large level of energy around the school, like something powerful was holding it under it’s grip. The silence that echoed through the hallways and classrooms was dulled by the sound of the pounding rain and thunder. The storm sounded very similar to the one she had heard the night before.

_Was it a sign?_

She then remembered her vision in her dream. It was warning her. The sudden realization that there wasn’t anybody else in the classroom with her put her on high alert.

“Yoshiki?! Ami?!” She cried out, only to be met with silence as another flash of lightning lit the room.

“I’m… alone…” The thought hit her quickly, feeling herself breath quickly again. The first time she had been here, she got lucky. She was aided by somebody else.

Now… she was alone.

She had to be strong. She couldn’t fall to the emptiness of the school. She looked to the doorway of the classroom. With her luck, it’d probably be locked or stuck. Reaching out, she pulled at it, not expecting it to open so easily. It slid as if it was brand new. Hesitantly, she stepped out, looking down both directions of the hallway. The smell of blood and rotting flesh was much stronger now, and she could feel herself getting queasy. Biting back the urge to vomit, she did her best to ignore it. As she strode down the hallway, a question kept nagging at her.

How did she get here when she didn’t do the Sachiko Ever After charm? Was there another way to get this hell?

Faint memories started to creep up on her. It had been so many years since her and her old classmates lives were changed forever. She had been responsible for her fallen classmates and teacher’s death. She had thought the charm was harmless. She wrapped her arms around herself. She felt cold and needed to console herself.

Were… they still here? As harmless spirits?

She felt chills run up her spine when a faint scream broke out, echoing through the empty hallways. She turned, the source of the noise in the opposite direction. The scream was very faint. Could it have been… in the basement? Was it her family? The mere thought of her family being in trouble put her on high alert. She didn’t know what to do though. If she remembered correctly, this school was locked off with multiple spaces, dimensions. For all she knew, this scream could have occurred hours ago. But her instincts were overruling her mind. Hesitantly, she walked off towards that direction, slowly but surely…

_In another part of the school…_

Yoshiki had awoken in a broken classroom, the floor in the middle cracked apart, too wide to jump across. Luckily, his daughter had been a few feet away, unconscious but breathing. When she awoke, she started freaking out, their location unfamiliar and downright scary. Now, he was holding her while she hid her face in his chest, wishing that it would just all go away. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be home. Yoshiki was busy looking around the classroom, searching for any signs of of another body… a living body at least. He deeply prayed they didn’t come across a corpse, for Ami’s sake. He couldn’t reveal something so dark to her innocent mind.

Or worse, a corpse of his wife.

But, there were no signs of life in the classroom, other than themselves. Another flash of lightning lit up the room, a loud crack of thunder following. Ami whimpered again, tightening her hold on her father’s shirt. From previous experience, they wouldn’t get any closer to finding the missing family member if they didn’t move. Convincing Ami was hard, but he eventually got her to reluctantly follow him out into the hallways. His hand was tight around hers. He would do anything to keep her from separating from him. He couldn’t bear the thought that she would have to brave these halls alone. She wouldn’t.

The sliding door opened easily, much to his amazement, and he glanced around, scouting for any signs of danger. Both then walked out into the hallways, Ami looking around with wide eyes at the amount of red liquid on the walls. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep the truth of this place from her for long. Turning a corner, his fears came true as a decomposing corpse lay next to a wall a few feet away. It wasn’t old, as it wasn’t just bones, but it wasn’t fresh.

“Ami, don’t look!” He blocked the young girl’s view quickly, but she had already seen it. She listened to her father though, hiding behind him to shield her from the body. Both passed by it quickly, it was evident that smaller creatures had reached it. Flies were circling it, the smell of rotting flesh overpowering. Ami put her hand to her mouth and nose, squinting her eyes as she felt her stomach churn.

Once passed it, Ami was red in the face, fighting back the urge to vomit. The smell alone wanted to make her bring up the contents of her stomach. Yoshiki took notice of this, leaning down and bringing her closer to him as he rubbed her back.

“Don’t hold it in, sweetie, I don’t want you to get worse,” He murmured to her, but she shook her head, squeezing her eyes tightly. After a few minutes, she finally managed to calm her upset stomach, hiding her face in her father’s shoulder as he continued to rub her back.

“Come on, let’s continue our search for mom,” He rose up, taking one of her hand’s into his. He really hoped they didn’t run into more corpses like that…

_In a classroom in the second wing…_

Yuka Mochida was going on with her day in her dorm room, readying herself for the morning classes when the dorm started to shake vigorously. Out of instinct, she dropped to her knees and kneeled over, her hands over her head. Before she could move any further, the floor beneath her gave away and she fell in.

She awoke in an empty, run-down classroom. Much to her worst nightmares, she was back in the place she feared the most. She was young when she entered Heavenly Host Elementary with her brother and his classmates. Back then, she might’ve acted much more like a child, but no one should have to endure what she and the others had gone through. When she returned with her brother to the real world, bruised and broken, she had little trust in strangers and people she barely knew. Her brother, her sister in-law, and parents were the only ones she had the most trust in.

She had become somebody different after her experiences in the school. She wasn’t the bubbly, childish young teenager she once was. She become extremely independent, having few friends, and her personality matured by a ten-fold. Her puppy crush on her brother died away, and to this day, she was still single. Truth be told, she’d rather be a loner; she didn’t want to put her trust and love into somebody, only to have her heart ripped apart again.

The few things that she used to enjoy were wiped away from the school. Her only enjoyment was her hobby of collecting scented beads. She had many, all having their own special scent and meaning. She would have the small jar attached to her bracelet each day, always different. Yuka rose to her feet, glancing around the classroom. She felt alone. She didn’t know if she was the only one here… and this was the last place she wanted to be in to run into strangers.

A faint wailing from outside the classroom caught her attention. The sliding doors were open, one of the doors ripped right off and laying on the floor. She stepped on it, careful to avoid any glass. The last thing she needed was to be alone and injured. As she entered the hallway, the wailing was growing louder. She breathed, before pushing forward; to her, the crying sounded like a young child.

If anything, it’d be better to have someone younger than herself to be with her. At least then, she could put some trust in them. But then again… what if it was a child spirit playing with her?

Only wanting to kill her…

Yuka paused, as another wail tore through the empty hallway. Her curiosity was growing, so she turned the corner, weary of any danger. What laid on the floor before her confused her even more. It was an infant. The baby’s arms were flailing, the blanket that was wrapped around it was a light blue, telling her that it was a boy. She stepped closer, until she saw familiar light auburn hair. She let out a gasp as her eyes widened.

“Koji?! Oh my god!” All fear was replaced by panic as she ran to the infant, kneeling down and gently picked him up. The blanket had become loose, so she rewrapped it around his tiny body as she pressed him against her chest. He didn’t seem hurt, but she wasn‘t sure. The baby was still crying, his tiny hands grabbing onto her jacket as his tears stained the fabric. She laid against the wall of the hallway, cradling him as she tried to settle him down. Her thoughts drifted. If her little nephew was here… did that mean… her brother and the rest of his family were here as well? The mere thought the school had brought the other two children here didn’t calm her fast-paced heart.

Koji had eventually settled down to small whimpers, crying himself to sleep. She frowned at the young child. To be brought in such a horrible place at this age, it was simply cruel. Her thoughts were broken, however, when the sound of heavy metal being dragged on the wooden floors started echoing through the hallway. She recognized that sound from her previous visit. It was a sledgehammer being dragged. Its beholder was a zombie-fied teacher, being used to slaughter those that entered. Acting quickly, she ran the opposite way, not wanting to encounter the brutal man, especially with her brother’s young son in her arms. She eventually made it to the exit of the second wing, the doors leading to the bridge outside. Opening it quickly, she stepped out and shut the double doors without a second thought. She stepped slowly into the bridge, the rain still pouring down, even if there were no puddles. Bodies littered the fields and never-ending forest. She continued to walk, not wanting to get her little nephew sick from the cold. She came to the opposite doors, not knowing what awaited her on the other side…

_Somewhere in the first wing…_

“Mommy? Mommy, please wake up…” A small voice caused her eyes to open up slightly. Above her, Shigeru was looking down at her, worry… and fear stricken across his face.

“RuRu? Sweetie, what’s wrong?” She rose, feeling dull pain in her back. She hadn’t noticed her surroundings yet.

“Mommy… we’re not home…” He murmured, his large eyes glazing over. He seemed on the verge of tears. She blinked with confusion, finally looking at her surroundings. No… She knew this place. The place that had caused her many years of mental pain and suffering. The rotting floorboards, the faint smell of blood…

“Naomi? Naomi! You’re awake!” Another voice called to her. She whipped around to see her husband run in. To her guess, she probably wasn’t able to wake up when he did, so he went to look around while Shigeru stayed by her side.

“Thank goodness you’re okay! I was so worried!” He ran over, getting to his knees and hugged her.

“S-Satoshi…” She trailed off, blinking.

“Naomi… Aya and Koji are missing…” He broke from their embrace to look at her, his hands on her shoulders. She let out a gasp, realizing that the infant wasn’t in her arms. She looked around frantically, all logical sense thrown out the window as it was replaced with motherly instinct.

“No… No no no no! We have to find them! Koji can’t be alone in this place! He’ll… H-He’ll…” She choked back a sob, collapsing to her knees as she hid her face in her hands.

“I know, I know… We’ll find him, and Aya. Don’t worry,” Satoshi tried to reassure her, bending down next to her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Shigeru only watched as his mother broke down. He didn’t understand what was happening. All he knew was that his big sister and little brother were gone, and he needed to find them.

“Mommy…” He finally spoke out, stepping closer to his mother. She pulled her hands down to look at her eldest son, her face streaming with fresh tears.

“Mommy, we’ll find them… I promise…” He wanted to comfort his mother the best he could. With his older sibling missing, he would have to step up.

“Oh… sweetie…” She sobbed, smiling sadly has she enveloped her arms around him, holding him close.

“I know we will… We’ll find Aya and little Koji,” She whispered to her son. She broke away from him, kissing him on the forehead.

“Come on, we need to get moving. They could be anywhere,” Satoshi stood up, holding his hand out for her to grab. She smiled, placing her hand in his. She rose to her feet, but almost fell again, feeling pain course through her bad ankle. She must’ve landed on it wrong… like… last time.

“Naomi! Are you okay?!” Satoshi panicked, seeing her almost fall again.

“I’m… fine… It’s just my ankle… I think it’s flaring up again…” She bit back a wave of pain, before standing up again. She balanced herself out, putting little weight on it.

“I can still walk… I just need to be careful where I step,” She put on a fake smile. Truth be told, it really hurt.

“Alright…” His brows furrowed, but he decided to move on. He grabbed her hand, her other hand grabbing Shigeru’s. With that, they made their way out of the classroom and into the hallway…


	4. Stay Alive no Matter What

“Mommy! Daddy! RuRu!”

Aya ran down the empty hallways, panting heavily as she searched for her family. She had never been so scared. She had seen blood coating the walls, decomposing corpses littering the hallways and classrooms. She thought she might vomit. After awhile, with no avail to her missing family members, Aya sat down in a corner of one hallway and started to cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried. She just wanted to be with her family.

_Crunch_

A noise, echoing off the walls, caught her attention. Her eyes widened at the sound. She couldn’t identify with the sounds as it continued.

_Snap_

Another noise hit the air, this time, a bit louder. To her, it sounded like a stick being snapped in half. Slowly, she rose to her feet, walking down the hallway to the source. Peering wearily behind the wall, the sight before her made her blood run cold.

A large, black, serpent-like creature was devouring something. A human it seemed. She could feel the cold air turn hot, his body like molten lava. Tar slipped off his body, staining the floorboards beneath.

This creature seemed like something that would be in a fairy tale, a dragon.

When he head rose, a long, slender piece of flesh was ripped from whatever he was eating. It didn’t look like any of the other dead bodies she had encountered. It… glowed a blue color… and it had a faint transparency to it.

Like a ghost.

She let out a gasp that wasn’t supposed to be so loud. Ghosts don’t die! Their… already dead… right? The creature heard her, raising his head and looked at her. Fear rose in her body as he looked at her, turned around as his long talons scrapped the floorboards. His face was stained in a blue-ish hue of red. Gulping down the last of the flesh he had taken, he walked towards her.

“My my my… what do we have here… a curious young soul it seems,” He spoke, his voice deep. She backed away, tears swelling in her eyes. She tripped over a piece of wood, and fell on her bottom. The creature towered over her, his long neck allowing him to lean down and come face-to-face with her. She could feel his hot breath on her face, it felt like fire.

“Curiosity kills the cat… or in this case… a kitten,” He spoke, his eyes narrowing as red pupils appeared in a sea of green. Her tears spilled over.

Those fairy tales, there was always a prince charming, always coming to help the princess from the evil dragon.

Her prince charming wasn’t coming.

“You should never interrupt me when I’m in the middle of eating… it isn’t polite,” He spoke again, before lunging forward, pushing her back onto her back, and pressing one hand on her stomach. Her fear was overwhelming her, to the point that she would actually vomit. On one last instinct, she let out a bloodcurdling scream; hoping that someone, maybe even her family, would hear her.

“I wonder how you’ll taste… eating these ghosts are getting old… real flesh and warm blood sounds great now,” He pondered, her tiny form squirming under his grasp. Right as he was about to lunge forward, something, like a liquid of the sorts, was sprayed on him without warning.

It was Holy water.

The liquid immediately burned him. Even for being so hot in temperature, his spirit form could not handle the pure water. He let out a screech, backing away as the burning intensified. Before he disappeared, he could see someone else, blurry, but it was another human.

One of the five.

He was in no condition to fight though. Before they could attack again, he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Aya had closed her eyes at this point. She didn’t want to see the creature anymore. She heard him screech out, the noise alone causing her eyes to close tighter. She just wanted to be with her family, at home.

“Hey… little one, are you okay?” A voice, much softer, called out to her. She opened up her eyes to see her savior. It was an older woman, with indigo hair and blue eyes.

“Y-Yeah,” She murmured out as she sat up. The woman was kneeling down next to her. She seemed trustworthy. Ayumi, having trusted her instincts, eventually ran to the source of the scream. What she saw was a large creature trapping a little girl, the child too freaked out to fight back. Taking her best bets, she took out a small jar of holy water; she always kept a bottle in her pocket. Uncapping the glass bottle, she sprayed it out. To her surprise, it had actually worked. The creature must’ve been spiritual, the water burning him. He eventually disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. She came to aid the young girl, the child seemingly familiar to her.

“What’s your name?” She decided to ask, tilting her head at the dark-auburn.

“Aya… A-Aya Mochida,” She stuttered out, holding her hands close to her face. Mochida?! Ayumi couldn’t believe it. This was her old classmate’s daughter. Did that mean… that they were also here?

“Your parents… wouldn’t happen to be Satoshi and Naomi, would they?” Ayumi decided to press her luck. When Aya nodded slowly, she instantly knew that there was something much deeper going on here.

“Well Aya, I used to go to school with your parents. I’m Ayumi,” The older woman rose to her feet, holding out her hand for the young girl to grab. Therefore, this woman knew her parents. She could definitely trust this woman then. She placed her hand in Ayumi’s and rose to her feet as well.

As they walked down the hallway, many questions were on Ayumi’s mind. Sure, the four of them kept in touch after high school, but both families lived on opposite sides of Japan. Reunions never occurred. She knew the Mochida’s had a family, but she had never seen the children for herself. Another question kept nagging at her. Why were they all gathered here? Why were their children also brought into the mix? The creature that had attacked Aya had scared Ayumi the most. She could sense that it was the powerful energy keeping this school together now.

Before he had disappeared, she noticed blood on his snout; it was a glowing a blue-ish hue. She was stopped abruptly when Aya stopped, quickly to hide behind her. Ayumi could sense extreme pain and suffering, and her eyes widened. The wall before them was covered in old, dried blood. A torn school uniform had stuck to the wall, the blood acting like glue. On the floor before the wall, more dried blood had pooled… Ayumi noticed two small pink spheres, one was cracked.

“Come on, Aya, let’s get out of here,” Ayumi quickly grabbed the young girl’s hand and led her past the bloody wall. Down the hallway, Ayumi felt her chest tighten. She knew who that was; it was one of her friend’s, one of the four that had fallen here. She couldn’t let herself break down, not with a child present. She had to be strong, for both of their sakes. They continued onward, in hopes that they would run into one of their families…

_In the first wing…_

Koji started to wail again, when Yuka entered the first wing. No matter what she did to settle him down, he would only get louder. She guessed he was probably getting hungry, but with his mother absent, his wish couldn’t be granted. Her only hope was that she would run into her brother’s family, hoping her sister-in-law would be with them. She continued to investigate the hallways, trying to stay alert; the upset infant in her arms wasn’t helping their situation, it could easily draw attention. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched by an unseen force; a child spirit.

Long, black hair covered over her face and went down to her mid-back. She wore a dress; it bleached red, like the color of blood. Her skin was a pale grey, and there were clear thumb marks bruising her throat. She stood behind Yuka; the older girl couldn’t sense her presence. The child held a large pair of bloody sowing scissors, the shining metal stained with blood from top to bottom. Grinning widely, she opened and closed the scissors.

_Snip, Snip_

Yuka gasped and turned around, holding Koji closer to her. She had heard that noise excessively many times. The noise haunted her for years. The sound of scissors being opened and closed. However, there wasn’t anybody behind her. Yuka found herself growing incredibly antsy, the noise alone sent chills up her spine. She needed to keep her guard up; or she would ultimately meet her demise, as well as put Koji in danger. Turning around, she kept walking, really wishing her brother or her sister-in-law would show up soon. Koji needed his mother, not his aunt. The child spirit reappeared, in the same spot as before. She still wore a wide grin, her eyes narrowed. She watched as Yuka disappeared down the hallway, a flash of lightning breaking out and lighting the walls.

“Soon…” The child spoke, before giggling. Her form faded away, a gust of wind blowing through the hallway at her disappearance.

_In the infirmary…_

“There, that should do the trick till we get out,” Naomi spoke, creating a makeshift spring to her hurt ankle. She and Satoshi had come across the infirmary as they searched for the rest of the family. Naomi knew there had to be something in the cabinets to help her with her ankle.

“Can you walk on it?” Satoshi asked, standing before, Shigeru by his side as the child looked around the room. Naomi got up from the beds and put more weight on her leg, feeling less pain than before.

“Yep. Feels a lot better now,” She smiled. She knew she would have to be careful still. Any wrong move, and she could easily break the piece of wood keeping her leg straight; and, make her sprang flare up again.

“Good, let’s keep moving. Aya and Koji can’t be that far,” Satoshi spoke, grabbing Shigeru’s hand.

“Yeah…” Naomi trailed off. At least Aya could defend herself a little bit. Koji was just an infant, a young one at that. He must have been getting hungry by now, his feeding time long overdue.

“We’ll find them,” Satoshi reassured her, placing a hand under her chin and lifting her head up to look at him. His arm dropped back down and grabbed hers. He led them out of the infirmary, going the opposite direction of the stairway just down the hall. Satoshi knew they were nearing the lavatories; the place in which his wife suffered many horrible nights. Her best friend was killed in one of the stalls, with her own hands. He didn’t want to cause her anymore stress and pain, so he quickly turned away from the staircase leading up.

As they walked off, a spirit appeared at the base of the stairs. She was dressed in a school uniform, a hand clenched to her chest. She had longed for years to see her best friend again. However, she didn’t want to see the grown woman in this place again. She knew Naomi had grown into a strong adult, but even the strongest of hearts can be broken. She couldn’t talk. The way she had died, the rope that had wrapped around her neck, had choked her. Her airway was always closed, even when the pain was gone. She would try to speak out, but it would come out in small squeaks. Slowly, she started walking after the small group, wanting to watch over them. She knew they couldn’t see her, nor could she talk to them, she just wanted to calm her broken heart. That she could at least try to protect them…

_In a classroom on the third floor…_

“What are we going to do Yuki?” The three child spirits sat on the floor, trying to figure out how to go against that creature. Yuki could sense Sachiko had returned, the school shuttering as a powerful wave of energy fluttered through it. Not only had the original core returned, but also she was much more powerful than before; that creature had probably given her powers beyond those that were trapped here.

“I dunno Tokiko… I really want to stop that… thing. But, he’s just too powerful,” Yuki murmured, her eyes downcast.

“What about the group that entered the school? Aren’t they… from before?” The boy spirit asked, and Yuki nodded. Suddenly, something clicked.

“Maybe… we can get them to fight off that creature. They had appeased Sachiko before, they could certainly do it again,” Yuki raised her head, her hands fisting.

“But… they lost some of their group before…” Tokiko’s shoulders drooped. Yuki hadn’t thought about that. There were young children among the five now, exactly making up the number they had lost before. Yuki didn’t like the idea of the children losing the fight to stay alive, especially the infant. Whatever that creature had planned, he definitely wouldn’t show any mercy to the four children. She just hoped that the three of them could reach the five before it was too late…


	5. The Legendary Sword

Yoshiki had searched the entire floor, calling to Ayumi while keeping an eye on Ami. The young girl looked tired, but continued to push herself so she wouldn’t fall behind.

“Ami, sweetie… are you okay?” He turned to his daughter. She perked up when her name was called, nodding quickly. He could see how fatigued she was becoming, and looked around for any signs of a classroom. The first door he spotted were two red doors, the custodian’s closet. Walking over to it, he expected it to be locked; however, when he pushed on it, it opened easily. Both stepped inside, the smell of rotting wood was strong.

“Why don’t you sit down for a little bit,” He turned to Ami, and she shook her head again.

“What about mommy?” She whimpered. Yoshiki frowned.

“I know you really want to find her, I do too. But, I don’t want you getting sick from walking around so much,” He leaned down to her level, patting her head. Her vibrant blue eyes looked down.

“Okay…” She squeaked, walking over and sitting down on the higher level of the room. Yoshiki rose back up, deciding to investigate the room. A ceiling lamp was giving off some light, allowing him to see well. He walked over to a cabinet, the drawers opening up easily. However, there wasn’t much inside. On the last drawer, he pulled at it, but it refused to open. Blinking, he put more force into it, the drawer finally giving and sliding from its hinges, onto the floor. He backed away quickly, not wanting to be caught under it. He leaned back down when he saw what was inside.

A stack of newspapers, all in different languages that he couldn’t read; some in English, French, even Spanish. Ami only watched as her father reached in and grabbed the stack of papers. He walked up to her, sitting down next to her as he placed the newspapers on his lap.

“What is it daddy?” She asked, looking over as he grabbed one, starting to study it. She glanced down at the other articles, not recognizing any of the languages written.

“I don’t know…” He trailed off, trying to make some words on the article in his hands. It was in English; he could speak a little from learning the language from high school years. However, he wasn’t fluent in the language, give or take. Placing the article down, he started going through the stack, hoping to find an article in Japanese. Eventually, he came upon one, the paper worn at the edges. It was much darker from the today’s newspapers. Reading the date, his eyes widened.

“An article from… 1921?” Scanning it, to his surprise, it wasn’t about any murders like the articles from before; he could clearly remember reading an article about the four children that were murdered here in Heavenly Host. Reading it, his eyes narrowed at its content. It was… about a strange creature appearing in the west mountains, attacking villages. There were few survivors; those that had lived were stripped of their minds. They went insane from the horrors they experienced. A photo was next to the article, a drawing depicting of the creature. It looked like a dragon to him; slender, serpent-like body. Horns protruding from the back of its head. It had no wings, thin arms and legs, tipped with long talons. The upper half of its head topped with a reptilian-like skull. The picture depicted it breathing fire.

“What is going on?” He muttered, setting the article down and looking through the other newspapers. Dates varied from 1867 to 2002. The 2002 article had taken place in France, where a photo was taken of a creature similar to the picture in the Japanese article. He couldn’t read what it had to say, but the photo gave him an idea. It had appeared atop a tall statue, unleashing a powerful plume of fire from its mouth.

“Why… would something like these be in Heavenly Host…?” He questioned, unaware of Ami’s presence. Something suddenly caught his eye. From the cabinet, in which the bottom drawer had slid out, something was gleaming from the back. Setting the stack next to him, he rose and walked over. Getting to his knees, he peered in, and reached forward, his hand brushing up against leather. Blinking, he wrapped his hand around it and pulled, loosening the object. Pulling it out, it his eyes widened at how long the object had really been.

It was a sword, the leather holding it looked too old to be recent.

“What is it daddy?” Ami had her knees up to her chest, hugging them.

“It’s… a sword,” He replied, his hand going to the handle of blade and sliding it out the holder. It looked old, but the blade shined as if it was brand new. In the dim light from above, the sword shined in different colors. Sliding back into its holder, the leather at the base peeled away to reveal a small piece of paper. Confused, Yoshiki grabbed the paper; it was folded, so he unraveled it, the message in Japanese… in ink.

“Beware of the creature that has a body of tar and flame of violet. Not even the strongest of Knights can defeat him. Only one has been able to defeat him, under the name of… Shinozaki…” Yoshiki’s eyes widened at the surname. Ayumi’s last name was Shinozaki… but she took his surname name when they married. He continued.

“…This creature, killed by the blade that can cut through anything, seeking revenge for the knight that slaughtered him. Using his magical abilities that are as powerful as the stars and moon, set a curse on the man’s family, forever burdening the name ‘Shinozaki’,” He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Ayumi’s family name had been cursed for centuries. Was that also the reason why the girl in the red dress had shared the same surname…? Why they all had been brought to this unforgiving hell?

“What does that mean daddy?” Ami was even more confused than before. None of those words was in her level of vocabulary.

“I don’t know sweetheart,” He turned to her, lying to her. She was too young to understand what was happening. Maybe when she was older. Rising to his feet, he decided it be best to take the sword. If anything, it was a weapon of defense. The leather holder had a strap on it, so he swung it around his arm.

“Are you ready to keep moving?” He stepped over to Ami, and the young let go of her legs, her feet dangling over the edge.

“Yeah,” She nodded, rising to her feet. He smiled, before going over to the articles. He took a few of them, best to keep them with him. If they did find Ayumi, she had a better chance of reading the different languages. Her medium status required learning a few different languages. If anything, she could get some more information out of these newspapers. Folding them up, he stuck them inside his dress shirt, a hidden pocket encasing them inside. Both exited the custodian’s office, unaware that a spirit was watching them. Her eyes narrowed a frown upon her face. Without warning, she disappeared into the air.

_In the underground bomb shelter…_

“God… damn… HUMANS!” He roared, slamming a bucket of blood against the wall. The wall covered over with the thick liquid, pooling at the bottom. He had sensed that one of the five had found the legendary sword, the very blade that had ended his life. Just what he needed; for them to get stronger. He knew that the sword had been hidden in the walls of an untouchable dimension in the universe. He felt its powers growing stronger the closer he came to it. He had searched for the sword everywhere; wanting to enhance its powers into his own soul. He needed the magic it held. He paced around the room, scratching his talons into the dirt floor; leaving deep claw marks in its wake. He needed to act fast, before the five and their families were reunited.

They could not win.

That’s when an idea sparked. He would attack the source of his presence. The Shinozaki woman, the woman that refused to continue the bloodline. She had caused the curse to flutter; when her child was born, she was supposed to kill her husband. However, because of the sudden fluctuation in the curse’s abilities, her family had been completely skipped over. That didn’t mean her child possessed the same abilities as her mother. The little girl was born with such great energy… energy he also needed. Striding out of the blood-soaked room, he paced down the dirt hallways, his red pupils appearing in his green eyes again. He could fight holy water. His bright flame could not be extinguished by the pure liquid. He would slaughter the woman.

End her life in an unimaginable way.

The child following her would come next… Then his bloodlust could not be tamed.

Ayumi and Aya were walking down one of the hallways, a newspaper in Ayumi’s hand. She was reading over the text, trying to piece together what was going on. However, the article had given her nothing. She already knew all of this; four children were kidnapped, one escaped with her life while the other three were brutally murdered. Sighing in defeat, she placed the article down on a nearby desk.

“Ayumi?” Aya looked at the older woman, worried.

“Yes Aya?” She turned to the dark-auburn.

“Are you okay?” Aya asked, fiddling with the hem of her dress. Ayumi blinked, and gave off a fake smile.

“Yeah… everything’s fine,” She was quick to respond. Aya didn’t seem convinced, but didn’t want to upset the woman. She looked to the ground, still messing with her dress.

“Oh… so everything’s fine, hmm?” A dark, brooding voice broke the silence of the halls, and Ayumi turned to the source. On instinct, she put out an arm before Aya, wanting to protect the child. A flash of lightning struck out, the hallways gleaming as the creature was standing before them. He stepped out of the shadows, his eyes glowing brightly as he smirked. His talons brushed against the wood, the air turning hot from his body.

“So… you can talk,” Ayumi decided to converse with this creature. His eyes narrowed, his head rising above them.

“You really think such an idiotic animal could take over this dimension and resurrect a god. So low of humans to think such things,” As he spoke, his tone got more and more angry. She stood her ground however. He found this intimidating.

“Are you the one that brought us here?” She questioned, and he let out a laugh.

“You really think that little Sachiko could bring humans here without the use of the charm? The five of you knew of the charms effects if done wrong, so you didn’t dare go near it again,” He spoke, starting to walk forward.

“Why bring the children into the mix?” She asked, and his head lowered.

“Such young things should experience seeing their parent’s deaths… and then join their eternity of pain…” He responded. Her eyes widened.

“What are you?” She pondered aloud. He smiled again.

**_“Death,”_ **

Suddenly, from his jaws, his long tongue shot out, lunging at Ayumi without giving her time to run. The tip wrapped around her throat, immediately cutting her off from air. She was lifted off from the ground, her hands clawing at his tongue‘s flesh, but like the rest of his body, the tongue was covered in tar. Aya had run off, too scared to be around the evil creature.

“I… w-wo… n’t… l-lose… to… you…” She choked out, feeling it dig deeper into her throat. She felt herself losing consciousness. She didn’t want to die; she had a family to live for. However, she couldn’t fight when she had no oxygen.

“Such a foolish human. You can’t fight against me,” He spoke, grinning as her life slipped away. A loud crash of thunder split over the skies, a flash of lightning beaming out. Before he could react, he felt hot pain run through the base of his tongue, screeching out as his tongue had been completely sliced off. Ayumi was dropped to the floor, the tongue instantly liquefying and disappearing. She gasped for air, her chest heaving. A dark bruise was already forming around her neck, some areas of her throat bleeding.

The creature shook his head, his tongue disappearing inside his jaws. A growl radiated from his throat, looking up to see who had cut off his first kill. His eyes widened, not at the human that was standing before him, but the blade in his hand. The legendary sword; the sword that had killed him. “Stay away from my wife,” The man ordered, and the creature leaned down, the growls growing louder.

“So, you found the legendary sword,” He spoke out, his eyes narrowing as they focused on the shining blade. The blood from his tongue still covered the edges, dripping down onto the floor. The dirty blonde holding it didn’t reply, his grey-blue eyes squinting at the vile creature.

“No response hmm? You really are the stubborn one,” The creature chuckled, standing his ground. Going towards the human with a weapon, a weapon that could harm him would be idiotic. Tightening his grip on the sword, Yoshiki swung his arm forth, the sword slicing through the air as it aimed for the creature. The creature had been expecting the attack, easily dodging the attack and landing back.

“Even wielding the sword, you are not worthy of its power! You don’t even know how to attack correctly,” The creature played with his words, before rising on his back feet. His throat lit up, his jaws opening as fire with the color of violet was unleashed on the human, engulfing the man in powerful flames.

“Yo…shi…ki…” Ayumi whimpered out, reaching her hand out as she saw the bright flames engulf the man. Her already blurry vision faded to black, no longer able to stay awake. Before she completely lost consciousness, she swore she saw faint blue.

“Daddy…” Ami, who had been told to hide, peered behind the cabinet. She felt tears swell in her eyes, her father disappearing into the flames. She tensed when the hot air turned cold, and dared to turn around. She could feel a presence behind her. She turned her head around slowly, her eyes widening as she let out a gasp. Before she could yell out, her body felt extremely hot, and she quickly lost consciousness.

The only thing she saw before blacking out was the color blue.

When his foot met the ground, the fire disappeared. He expected to see a burnt, limp body, and a sword that would finally be his. Instead, there were no signs of a human even being present. The creature’s eyes narrowed; somebody was helping them. Growling, his head rose as he let out a frustrated roar, the noise echoing off the walls and all around the school. He will get that sword, at any cost.


	6. The Anatomical Model

Aya ran down the hallway, panting heavily as tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t stay around; the second Ayumi was attacked by that thing, she knew she was no longer protected. She eventually slowed to a walk, too out of breath. Her best bet was to hide. As she walked down the hallway, she realized that she had run to the hall with the bloody wall. Gulping, she walked past it, trying her best to ignore it.

Suddenly, a roar broke out across the school, and she let out a yelp. Frantically looking around, she noticed that the closest room was open. She ran in, not taking any chances with that creature again.

She blinked, glancing around at the room. It wasn’t like any of the other classrooms. Large tables were lined up in rows, metal gas burners on one end on each. At the back of the room, there were cabinets, lined with glass tubes and other small objects. In the front of the room, there was something covered in a white sheet. She didn’t think much about it as she started to explore the classroom.

Aya blinked as she passed each table, each covered in dust, the gas burners rusted. She gasped when loud footsteps came from outside, in the hallway. Fearing for her life, she quickly crouched, using the table’s cupboards to shield herself.

Outside, the creature was moving quickly, his talons scraping the wood with each step he took. He was angered that his first victim escaped with minor wounds. As he passed the Science room, he smirked, hoping that the spirit he had assigned would do his job. He disappeared down the hallway, the air turning cold again. When the footsteps grew faint, Aya rose again, sighing. She really wanted to find her family. Pressing a fisted hand to her chest, she felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Momma… papa… RuRu… Koji…” She murmured, sniffing as some tears fell. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed the sheet slip off from the figure behind her. It was a model, but it was clearly alive. A creepy smirk crossed his face as he spied on the young girl, his eyes glowing from the dim light outside. Slowly, he made his way over to her, his footsteps quiet. She jumped when she heard the floor creak behind her, and turned. She let out a cry before the model grabbed her, covering her mouth with one of his hands. She tried to fight him, but he was too strong for her small body. All she could get out were muffled whimpers as he grabbed her and took her over to one of the tables.The breath was knocked out of her when he slammed her down onto it‘s surface, cackling as he tied her up to the gas burner behind. Her flailing legs were soon to follow, the rope used dug into her skin. Her mouth was released, and she cried for help, screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Quite the loud one, aren’t we?” He finally spoke, and she stopped, tears streaming down her face. He moved to the front of her, a glint in his eyes. She couldn’t speak, she was too frightened. He was an anatomical model, half of his body covered in skin, while the other half showed the muscle and organs.

“It’s so nice to meet you again… little sister,” He spoke with a calming tone, before he held up a pocketknife. The blade was dull from years of use, dried blood coating every inch of silver.

“P-Please… get away!” She cried out, her tears uncontrollable. His smirk only widened. He leaned over her small form, the knife coming down and landing next to her head, the tip deep in the wood.

“Oh, but don’t you want to die with your brother, little sister?” He asked, pulling the blade out again. Her chest heaved, feeling that she wasn’t going to get out of this. Her only hope was that her family would find her now. And she would take that chance.

“MOMMY! DADDY! RURU!” She screamed out, his eye twitching as he grew irritated. Taking the blade, he sliced it across her cheek, the cut deep enough as blood started to trickle out. She cried out as pain shot through her right cheek, tears mixing with the blood. Getting off the table, he readjusted the knife in his hands.

“I was going to have fun, but now, time is off the essence,” He replied, rearing the blade up as a crash of lightning broke through the skies, the room brightening. The blade went back down in a swift movement. She let out a scream of agony as the blade cut through her knee…

_Somewhere else in the school…_

The small group perked up when a cry echoed off the walls.

“Didn’t that sound like…?” Satoshi questioned, looking back to his wife.

“It’s Aya! I think she’s in trouble!” Naomi answered, starting to quickly limp towards the direction of the noise.

_“MOMMY! DADDY! RURU!”_

“Aya!” Satoshi started to run down the hall, but stopped abruptly, looking back at Naomi and Shigeru.

“Go! We’ll catch up!” Naomi yelled at him, and he nodded, turning sharply. Back in the science lab, she was sobbing, her body shivering at the new pain in her leg. Blood pooled underneath her wound and dripped off the side of the table. The pain was excruciating, the ropes on her arms and ankles dug deeper, her skin rubbed raw.

“You are quite the screamer… Sweet music to my ears,” The model replied, cackling as he raised the bloody knife again, this time aiming for her stomach. Her small body wouldn’t be able to handle it. She would certainly bleed out after the next wound. Aya was a crying mess, she wished her parents were here.

“Momma… papa…” She muttered out, and the model glared at her.

“Don’t worry, big brother will protect you,” He cooed, and she sniffled again. The knife came down on her stomach, the tip pressing into her dress and skin. She whimpered out, more tears spilling over. Just as the model was about to stab her, the door to the room slid open, a man running in with a thin pipe in his hands. He swung the piece of metal at the model, jerking the ghastly spirit away from Aya.

“Stay away from her!” Satoshi screamed out, swinging the pipe. The model stood back, not daring to get in the way of the pipe. Reaching his hand out, he grabbed the pipe, holding it in place. His hand pressing into the metal; the pipe wasn’t thick enough as it caved in.

“W-What?” Satoshi blinked, mouth agape as the pipe was crushed under the model’s strength. His teeth clenched, glaring at the figure.

“You bastard…” He murmured, and the model smirked. He gripped the pipe and ripped it out of the man’s hands, throwing it away from them. He then raised the pocketknife.

“Looks like daddy is defenseless,” He cackled, swiping forward with the knife in hand. But with his strength, the older male had swiftness. He quickly dodged the attack, the blade catching his jacket and slicing through it.

“Daddy…” Aya whimpered out, looking over as her father battled the figure that had injured her. She didn’t hear the other footsteps enter the room, her mind too clouded to pay attention.

“Aya!” Naomi entered the room, quickly limping over to her daughter. Shigeru was close behind his mother, not wanting to separate from his parents. Naomi let out a gasp as she saw the wound on Aya’s knee. Looking around frantically, she noticed sharp objects in the back of the room. One of them had to cut the ropes; Satoshi wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. While their mother ran to the back of the room, Shigeru stayed with his sister. He was barely tall enough to look over the tabletop, but he could see his sister was distressed.

“Big sis…” He muttered under his breath. He could see the blood drip off the edge of the table, and he held back a sob. She was hurt, very hurt. Naomi ran back with a pair of dull scissors, quickly going to the ropes holding Aya’s hands together. Once they were cut off, she moved to her feet, trying her best to ignore her daughter’s blood that had soaked into the rope. When her feet were free, she placed the bloody scissors on a nearby table. She came back over, picking up her daughter as one hand went under her knees, the other supporting her back.

“Satoshi!” The brunette yelled to her husband, seeing him struggle with the model as both fought for dominance in the fight. He glanced over to her, before going back to the model. Taking his chances, he swept his foot out, catching the other’s leg, causing him to falter. With his guard down, the brun male kicked his foot out, hitting the model’s chest. The impact was hard enough to send the spirit back, his back hitting the wall. Satoshi took this chance, and turned, running after his wife and children. The small family escaped into the hallways, leaving the model to pant heavily.

“I see… so this is how we’re going to play… Game on then,” The figure spoke, letting out a few heavy laughs.

Running down the hallway, they stopped, panting as they peered behind them. The figure didn’t seem to be chasing them.

“You okay?” Satoshi turned to Naomi and she nodded. Aya whimpered, pressing her head into her mother’s chest as another wave of pain shot through her leg. Blood was all over Naomi’s clothes, her hands soaked in the warm liquid. It made her sick to think that this was her daughter’s blood.

“We need to get her to the infirmary, you can hopefully try to clean that wound,” Satoshi spoke, and turned, grabbing Shigeru’s hand. The family walked off towards the direction of the stairs. When they were gone from sight, the spirit from before appeared. She frowned sadly, her brows furrowing. Her hands clenched together, as she looked down.

_‘I failed to protect your family… I hope you can forgive me, my dear Naomi…’_ She soon disappeared into thin air.


	7. Solving the Mystery of the Great Beast

“Mommy…” She heard a faint voice, her fogged mind still trying to wake up.

“Mommy…” The voice became clearer as she drifted out of unconsciousness, her eyes fluttered open slowly.

“Mommy! Daddy, mommy’s awake!” The voice called over to somebody else. As her vision cleared, she realized somebody was looking down at her, a smile on their face. She immediately recognized them.

“Ami?” She murmured, her voice cracked. Last, she could remember, she was fighting against that creature. Another figure came over to her. Relief flooded through her as she saw him.

“Ayumi… how do you feel?” He asked, smiling softly. He looked… relieved.

“My neck… hurts,” She murmured. An intense burning was around her neck.

“Ah… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you sooner,” He muttered, his eyes going downcast. Ayumi blinked, frowning as she sat up; her body was sore, but she fought against it.

“Don’t be so apologetic. You saved me nonetheless… isn’t that what matters?” She raised an arm, one of her hands resting on his cheek. He leaned into her touch, glancing at her.

“I’m just glad we’re all together again,” She added, and he smiled. Ami crawled over and hugged her mother’s arm; she was so happy to see her mother again. After a few moments of silence between the family, Ayumi broke away suddenly remembering of their location. Looking around, she realized they weren’t in a hallway; they were in a classroom. Nevertheless, the condition of the room seemed better than any of the others she had been in.

“W-Where are we?” She turned to Yoshiki.

“Not sure. It seems something brought us here…” He replied, glancing around as well. A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder crossed the skies outside, the room being lit. Ami let out a small squeak of fear and hugged her mother’s arm tighter. Ayumi reached over and held the girl closer to her as she pressed a hand at the back of Ami’s head.

“It’s alright sweetie, it’s just thunder,” Ayumi reassured.

“I-It’s not that! There’s people in here, mommy!” Ami looked at her mother with wide eyes. Ayumi blinked, looking around again. Yoshiki grew tense next to her, clenching his teeth as he became alert.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” A voice spoke out, and the small family turned to the source. Ayumi swore she heard this voice before… from long ago. Suddenly, before the family, three blue flames appeared. Ami whimpered and hid her face in her mother’s arm. Ayumi quickly wrapped her arm around the girl, before looking back at the flames.

“Who are you?” She asked, and the flames flickered.

“We are from your past… We tried to warn you of the future…” The flames spoke, and Ayumi blinked. Her eyes widened when she realized what they meant. Her dream, they were the voices in her dream.

“What do they mean Ayumi?” Yoshiki turned to her, confused.

“That nightmare… I had last night… It was a vision… from them,” She gazed at the flames. Yoshiki blinked, turning back to the flames. Suddenly the flames pulsed, as the light around them grew brighter. When the light dimmed, three children stood, a faint transparent glow to their bodies. Yoshiki and Ayumi immediately recognized them, Ami peeking back to see the three spirits.

“Yuki?” Ayumi inquired, and the twin-tailed girl nodded. Last time the two adults had seen them, all three were vengeful spirits, being the slaved killers of the school as they attacked those that entered. But here, before them, the children looked healthy; as if they never died.

“Alright you three. What is going on? Why are we here again?!” Yoshiki hissed as he rose to his feet. The three ghost children stayed silent, their eyes downcast.

“Yoshiki! Quit it! Demanding answers like that isn’t going to help our situation!” Ayumi scolded the blonde, and he gaped. He let out a sigh before sitting back down, staying silent.

“Yuki…” Ayumi started, catching the young child’s attention.

“What’s going on?” Ayumi only figured to start simple. Yuki paused before glancing back up.

“Three nights ago… that creature entered the school through force. When the different spaces were disturbed by his presence, I was awoken from my deep slumber as the core. The three of us encountered him, willing to stop him from his intrusion… but we underestimated his power…” Yuki explained, the other two children looking down as if they were at fault.

“His ability to use magic to his liking was what caused me to lose my title as the core… Not only has he ripped away the school’s abilities… but he brought back the original core,” Yuki frowned, closing her eyes.

“W-Wait… that means… Sachiko is back as well…” Ayumi muttered. Now, she was even more confused than before.

“Yuki, how did he bring her back? Wasn’t she appeased for her misdoings?” Ayumi asked.

“His powers are beyond the spirits of the school. At this moment, he has control over the school. The curse that traps the dimension has been suppressed, the darkening effects and spaces having been cleared away,” Yuki replied. Ayumi blinked.

“All of you are up against something much more powerful than anything you have ever encountered,” The ghost child added, and Ayumi glanced away.

“W-Wait…” Yoshiki spoke up, catching their attention.

“If you say he’s so powerful… than why did the sword I use easily drive him away?” He asked, and the children stayed silent.

“Wait, what sword?” Ayumi turned to him.

“The sword I hav- Huh? W-Where is it? I just had it with me!” Yoshiki frantically looked around the room for the long blade.

“This sword…” Yuki spoke up, catching the older man’s attention. She held out the long blade, shining brightly as ever, even with the lack of light in the room. Ayumi blinked, her eyes widened as her eyes set on the sword. Yoshiki wasted no time to receive it back, taking it by the handle.

“W-Where did you find that?” Ayumi demanded.

“Ami and I came across the custodian’s closet to rest in. I started exploring around and found it hidden inside a cabinet,” Yoshiki replied.

“Yoshiki… What you are holding is the most priceless treasure in the Shinozaki family,” Ayumi acknowledged, and the dirty blonde looked at the blade.

“I’ve heard so many rumors of the sword existing, its blade soaked in a magic so powerful that it can cut through any surface in the universe. I’ve read that the blade slaughtered a creature that wreaked havoc on a kingdom centuries ago. My early grandfather slaughtered the beast with this sword… and ever since, my family name has been cursed because of it,” Ayumi muttered, her eyes focusing on the sword.

“That reminds me,” Yoshiki interrupted, digging into his jacket for the papers. Bringing out the folded articles he had collected, he handed them to his wife.

“I found a huge stack of newspapers with the sword. Their in a bunch of different languages, the dates varying from hundreds of years ago to just a few years back,” He explained as Ayumi unfolded the papers, overlooking each one.

“I’m not exactly fluent in some of these languages, but I can definitely make out what’s its trying to get across,” She spoke, overlooking one article.

“A creature… this picture… looks like that creature we encountered earlier,” Ayumi scanned over more articles, before placing them down.

“I think there’s something much deeper going on here… and Heavenly Host just happened to be in the way,” Ayumi spoke, looking up at Yoshiki and the three ghost children…

_In the infirmary…_

Naomi was busy cleaning Aya’s knee wound while the child hugged her father‘s stomach, the pain unbearable. The family of four had arrived in the infirmary, and Naomi was quick to work at her daughter’s wound; setting the child on one of the beds before going to the cabinets. The mother really wished there was a cleaner way to stitch up the wound, but she didn’t want anything being infected. This would just make it worse for Aya, and she definitely didn’t want to cause more pain to the young girl. Aya was in a fit of sobs and whimpers each time a stitch penetrated the skin; her hold on her father’s shirt would tighten, her knuckles turning white. Satoshi couldn’t do much but hold her, trying his best to console her.

“There. That’s the best it’s going to get until we escape from here,” Naomi spoke as she finished the bandaging on Aya’s knee.

“But, it’s best if we rest for a while. Aya won’t be moving anytime soon,” Naomi spoke again, and Satoshi frowned.

“What about Koji?” He looked to his wife, and her eyes went downcast. Satoshi knew it was only a matter of time before the infant starved. He wanted to continue searching, but he didn’t want to separate from the rest of them. This school could play tricks on those that were alone.

“We’ll find him Naomi, don’t worry,” He walked over and embraced her gently.

“I just hope it’s not too late…” She muttered, only loud enough for his to hear. He closed his eyes, tightening his hold on her. Breaking away, he rose back up and looked to his two children. Aya was already starting to doze off, Shigeru however was standing at the bedside.

“Why don’t you rest for a bit?” Satoshi asked his son and the young boy seemed hesitant on such things.

“But… what about tha monstas…” He mumbled, and Satoshi smiled sadly at the boy. Leaning down to the boy’s level, he patted Shigeru’s head.

“Mommy and Daddy will be here to protect you from the monsters, I promise,” He replied, and Shigeru nodded. The boy turned and climbed up the bed, crawling next to his sister to nap. Smiling at his children, he looked back to Naomi.

“We should rest too. You need to stay off that ankle as much as you can,” He replied as he walked up to her. She didn’t speak, she simply nodded and rose to her feet. Both adults walked over to the other bed, sitting on it as their backs pressed against the wall. Satoshi looked to Aya and Shigeru, both children having fallen asleep.

“I hope we can find Koji…” Naomi broke the silence of the moment, feeling tears swell in her eyes. Satoshi looked over to her, and frowned. Leaning over, he wrapped one arm over her shoulders, bringing her closer to him.

“We’ll find him. I promise you that he’ll be okay,” Satoshi whispered to her, their heads pressing together gently.

“I hope you’re right,” She muttered back, her eyes closing…

_In a hallway on the second floor…_

Yuka had given up the search for the rest of her family, and sat down against a wall in the hallway. Koji was still wailing, his aching stomach causing him to cry more.

“Oh Koji… I know you’re so hungry… but I just can’t seem to find anybody else…” She sighed, holding the infant against her chest as she rubbed his back. She wouldn’t forgive herself if her nephew had fallen to the school’s cursed hallways and classrooms. Her brother and sister-in-law would never forgive her. Letting out a determined huff, she rose to her feet. She had to continue her search… for Koji. The baby wouldn’t last much longer, and she shouldn’t give up so easily. Walking down the hallway, another flash of lightning lit up the walls…


	8. Finally Reunited

“You… DAMN BASTARD!” The anatomical model was thrown against the dirt walls, letting out a grunt. His eyes opened again, the creature towering over him.

“I assign you one job, and you screw it up! I gave you power that outwits those loser of human beings, and yet your so easily thrown down by one of them!” The creature roared at him, anger rising as each word passed his tongue.

“It won’t happen again… I’ll keep my guard up-”

“YOU SHOULD’VE KEPT YOUR GUARD UP THE WHOLE TIME!” The creature screeched, going face-to-face with the model. The model didn’t flinch, he stayed motionless. Oh, how he wanted to strangle the life out of this creature. Nevertheless, this thing was much more powerful than he ever would be.

“Do you really want to return to what you were before?” The creature reached forward, pressing a hand to the model’s chest. An intense pain grew throughout the model’s body, and he clenched his teeth. He wouldn’t give into the pain; but it was becoming unbearable.

“N-No!” The model hissed, and the creature withdrew him hand. He let out a relieved sigh.

“Then do what I have assigned you, Yuuya. Do not fail me or I will kill you,” The creature bared his teeth, his breath was hot.

“You can’t kill a spirit. We’re already dead,” Yuuya retorted, and the creature cackled. “Why do you think the spiritual force is growing weaker?” The creature asked, and Yuuya’s eyes widened. He kept his mouth shut, however. He didn’t want to trigger the creature any further; his very soul was on the line.

“Now, get back to your post. Do not torture your victims, Yuuya… Slice their throats open and get it over with,” The creature replied as Yuuya walked out of the dissection room. He would not fail this thing. He couldn’t. When the anatomical model was gone, a sudden spark of blue lit in the corner of the room. A spirit child appeared from the light, the bloody pair of sowing scissors in her hand.

“Ahh, welcome back, dear Sachiko. How are our guests?” The creature turned to the little girl, and her emotionless face turned sinister.

“It won’t be much longer before the infant dies from starvation,” She replied, and he smiled.

“Good… good. I knew the child wouldn’t live long without his mother’s milk. That woman carrying him… keep her away from the rest of the family. She mustn’t ruin our plans of action,” The creature spoke, and the girl smiled.

“It’s my pleasure…” She grinned before disappearing again. The creature’s head rose, his tar shining in the dim light of the room. It wouldn’t be long now…

_On the second floor…_

Koji’s cries were growing weaker. Yuka was noticing too, his loud wails no longer echoing off the walls. He was starting to starve, and she couldn’t do anything to help him. There was no food or water. He needed his mother so badly now; if she couldn’t find her sister-in-law quickly, she would be holding her little nephew to his death. As she walked down the hallways, another strike of lightning lit the walls, and an unexpected gust of wind blew through the halls. She grew alert, and turned to the source of the breeze. She wished she hadn’t done such things. Standing before her was a little girl in a red dress, her black hair covering her face. Yuka could just make out a creepy grin under the girl’s bangs.

_Snip, Snip_

The scissors in the girl’s hand started opening and closing, the sound of metal scraping against each other bouncing off the walls.

“No… N-No! Stay away!” Yuka screamed out, backing away slowly, her hold on Koji growing tighter.

“Ehehehe! Like I’m going to leave you alone!” The girl cackled, stepping closer. Yuka stayed silent.

“You should know why I’m here… that child in your arms is on the brink of death!” The girl giggled, and Yuka’s heart dropped.

“N-No… You’re wrong! He isn’t going to die!” Yuka yelled back, and the girl only giggled.

“Your words won’t convince me otherwise,” She tilted her head, still drawing closer. Yuka was defenseless. She could try to run, but she had remembered this child spirit. This child had tried to kill her in their previous visit. This little girl was the source of her fear, in which she had lost her trust with many. “I’ll just let you join him!” The girl shot forward, scissors ready to strike. Yuka wanted to dodge, but she was frozen in fear. Her legs wouldn’t move. Just as the tip of the scissors was about to jab in Yuka’s arm, a force appeared between the two, just fast enough to protect the older girl from harm. Sachiko’s eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, her scissors lodging into the force’s chest. Before the both of them, a teenage girl, dressed in a school uniform and double-bun hair, panted as the scissors lodged in her chest. There was no wound though. The teenager reached up and pulled the blades out from her torso, glaring down Sachiko. She threw the scissors back, Sachiko caught with it. She landed back onto the floor, and she growled for being thrown down.

“How dare you-” Sachiko was cut off when the spirit turned and grabbed one of Yuka’s arms, a white light enveloping the older girl. Both disappeared, and Sachiko narrowed her eyes.

“So… we have traitors among us…” She spoke, grabbing the discarded scissors next to her and rising…

Yuka couldn’t speak when the spirit suddenly touched her. A burning sensation through her whole body before she completely blacked out. When her eyes fluttered open, she was still holding Koji, much to her relief. However, the infant seemed weak, his cries having turned into soft whimpers.

“Koji, please hold on a bit longer! It won’t be long!” She knew the child couldn’t speak; she was only talking to assure herself. She looked around, noticing she was in another hallway. However, one of the rooms to her right had lights on inside. She blinked. Suddenly, a blue light appeared before her. The same spirit from before appeared, her eyes downcast as she gazed at Yuka. Yuka stood, clearly a few inches taller than the spirit. She noticed a deep bruise around the ghost’s neck.

“Thank you,” She spoke. The spirit stayed silent. Instead, she pointed to the room next to them. Yuka blinked, and glanced at the door that was closed. Koji started to cry again, yet they were weak. He was letting out one more desperate cry, which only made Yuka’s heart shatter.

_Inside the infirmary…_

Naomi’s eyes opened slowly when faint, almost familiar wails hit the air. At first, she thought she was just imagining it, thinking the school was playing tricks on her. However, when the cries didn’t cease, she knew she wasn’t imagining it. Her eyes widened, her motherly instincts kicking in. She rose from her spot on the bed, her husband just starting to wake up.

“N-Naomi…? What’s wrong?” He asked groggily, and she turned to him, her brows furrowed.

“I hear Koji… I-I can hear his cries,” She muttered, and he blinked. She didn’t give him enough time to get off the bed; she quickly limped over to the doors, wasting no time to open one of them. Yuka about jumped out of her skin when the doors opened. The spirit disappeared into the air quickly, not wanting to be seen. Yuka stepped back a bit, preparing for another ghost to attack her, her hold on Koji tight again.

“Y-Yuka… Koji!” The voice she heard caused her eyes to fly open, and she swore her heart skipped a beat. The very person she had been searching for stood before her, her sister-in-law. The older woman limped over and embraced her. Yuka quickly gave her the infant, the child desperately in need of milk.

“Go, take care of him quickly. He needs his mother-”

“Yuka?” Another voice spoke out, and her breath hitched. She peered past her sister-in-law’s shoulder, only to see her brother standing in the doorway. She ran over to the older male, embracing him tightly. He wasn’t expecting it, but laughed, wrapping his arms around her.

“I’m so glad your okay,” She murmured, and he smiled.

“Yeah, me too… did you… find Koji?” He asked, watching his wife slip back in and walk past the blinds.

“Yeah… He wasn’t that far from me when I woke up… Why are we back here again?” She asked, glancing at her brother. He let out a sigh.

“I don’t know, Yuka… But I’m glad all of us are together again. I was starting to get worried about Koji…” He trailed off. He hadn’t even thought of his sister getting involved with this… again. She had gone through so much already; she didn’t need to suffer it a second time. She didn’t seem injured though, so that was at least a relief. A few minutes had passed since the group had reunited. Yuka sat on a chair next to the other two children’s beds. She had been told about how an anatomical model had attacked her niece; that was the one thing she didn’t want to run into since they had returned to this god-forsaken place. The man responsible for her personality change was that very figure, and she didn’t know how sinister he would be since last time.

Naomi was busy nursing the young infant, the baby being responsive this time as he suckled. The mother knew the child was suffering malnutrition, even if he would be fed. It had been too long since his last feeding, and his tiny body started to shut down. Any longer, and it would have been too late.

“Will he be okay, Naomi?” Yuka asked, and the older woman smiled sadly.

“He’ll start regaining his strength, but due to the fact that were in a place with very little supplies… He won’t make a complete comeback until we get out of here,” She murmured, adjusting the child against her.

“He isn’t hurt at all… is he? I found him lying on the floor in the hallway when I woke up,” Yuka inquired.

“No, but there’s a chance he’ll get sick,” She muttered, lightly rubbing the child’s back.

“Oh…” Yuka looked away.

“Yuka, don’t beat yourself over it. We’re lucky enough that you found him when you did,” Satoshi spoke up, noticing his sister’s mood.

“Yeah…” She murmured. Satoshi sighed softly. At the doorway of the infirmary, the spirit from before peered in. She smiled sadly.

_“I have protected your family, my dear Naomi… I hope we can talk with each other soon,”_


	9. The Spiritual Force

“Oh no! I forgot about Aya!” Ayumi rose to her feet as she looked around the room frantically. Yoshiki gave her a confused look and rose himself.

“Who’s Aya?” He asked, and Ayumi turned to him.

“Yoshiki… She was Satoshi and Naomi’s daughter,” She replied, and his eyes widened.

“What?! They’re here too?” He inquired and she nodded. Ayumi gazed to the floor as a fisted hand went to her chest.

“She must have run off when that thing attacked me…” She murmured. Yoshiki let out a sigh and turned to the ghost children.

“Hey… um… Did any of you see another child with us?” He asked, and the three children exchanged glances.

“No… But we could sense that another living being had been in the area before you were attacked. Unfortunately, we can no longer sense their presence,” Yuki replied and Ayumi gasped.

“She isn’t dead… is she?” Ayumi walked next to Yoshiki. Yuki shook her head.

“No. We can’t sense her anymore because the spiritual force of the school is starting to weaken…” Yuki looked down.

“Spiritual force…? Do you mean… ghosts are disappearing?” Ayumi tilted her head.

“Yes. All the spirits in the school have a duty once they die. Apart of their soul is linked to the dimension energy, making up the forces that keep this school together. Whoever is the core of the school is the one that controls everything, and can rise or lower the amount of energy put into the spiritual force. It’s that energy that keeps those from escaping so easily… but now…” Yuki explained to the two adults, but paused.

“…Spirits are starting to disappear. We think it is the work of that creature doing so, as his energy is much stronger than the dimension’s energy ever could be, even with a powerful core. We think he’s going behind Sachiko’s back, and slaughtering spirits that seemed the most defenseless,” Yuki continued, and Ayumi and Yoshiki glanced at each other.

“Aren’t ghosts… dead already?” Yoshiki asked.

“Their bodies are gone, but their souls aren’t. The creature is going beyond that, and using a type of magic that allows him to do such things to us. The only problem is… the more spirits that disappear, the weaker the spiritual force will get… soon, if he completely demolishes us, the force will be gone,” Yuki answered, and Yoshiki let out a groan.

“What… will happen to us?” Ayumi looked at the ghost girl, and her brows furrowed.

“All of you will disappear as well. That force is the only thing keeping living beings alive until they have been killed by the school. With it gone, all of you will fall,” Yuki replied.

“There has to be a way to destroy that creature,” Ayumi muttered, and Yoshiki looked to her.

“We could use the swor-”

“Will you now?” A dark, brooding voice cut him off, and all of them turned to the back of the room. Before them, stood the creature, the air turning hot. Sachiko stood next to him, the bloody scissors in her hands. Without a moment’s notice, Yoshiki grabbed Ami and let her hide behind her parents.

“Yuki, Tokiko, Ryou… why are you helping them?” Sachiko looked at her former followers, the three of them having appeared before the three humans. Yuki stepped forward.

“This isn’t right Sachiko! Don’t you see that creature is using you to destroy the school?” Yuki warned her former ruler, but the ghost girl didn’t seem to be listening.

“Ahaha! Don’t lie to me, Yuki! He’s making us all stronger… but first, let us kill the living,” Sachiko stepped forward, raising her scissors.

“No. We won’t let you,” Yuki stood her ground, and Sachiko only giggled.

“You’re making this difficult Yuki… what happened to the children that I had killed?” Sachiko tilted her head, a creepy smile crossing her lips. Yuki, as well as the other two spirits stayed silent.

“Very well,” Sachiko responded.

“Such foolish spirits to be going against your former queen. Don’t you know what happens to those that defy us? Those that are traitors?” The creature stepped forward. Yoshiki gripped the handle of the sword if that thing came any closer to his family.

“Ah ah ah, I can sense your movements, my blonde friend. Your actions are louder than words,” The creature replied, and Yoshiki’s eyes narrowed. His grip on the sword didn’t cease, he wasn’t falling into this trap again.

“Run, big sis… big bro… we’ll keep them down as long as we can,” Yuki whispered to Ayumi and Yoshiki. Ayumi nodded as they looked back at the creature and Sachiko. Without warning, both adults turned sharply, Ami following suit as her father grabbed her hand. The creature growled and lunged for them, but was quickly stopped as Yuki used unknown forces to stop him short. He fell back, landing on his feet, his talons digging into the wood. The group of three had managed to get out into the hallway before a loud scream echoed off the walls. Ayumi stopped short, looking back.

“Yuki… no…” She murmured, but Yoshiki grabbed her arm with his free hand.

“We don’t have time Ayumi, we have to go!” He yelled at her, and she turned to him, nodding before they continued to run. After a while, the small family had run to the doors leading to the bridge. Yoshiki watched their backs as Ayumi pushed Ami outside. He then slipped out quickly, closing the large doors. Ayumi collapsed onto the concrete, panting heavily. Ami joined her, her tiny body worn out from the amount of running they had done. Yoshiki stayed alert however, worried that they would be ambushed again.

“I-I… think we… lost them… for now…” Ayumi panted out.

“Yeah…” Yoshiki agreed. He looked out into the forest. The rain refused to end, it coming down in large downpours. Puddles never formed though. Another crash of thunder hit the skies, followed with a flash of lightning. Ami didn’t flinch this time, her mind and body too tired to pay attention to that.

“Mommy…?” Ami started and Ayumi looked over to her daughter.

“Yes sweetie?”

“Will we ever get home?” Ami looked to her mother, and the woman paused for a second. At this point, she didn’t know how to escape from here. But she didn’t want to crush Ami’s hopes.

“We’ll get out of here, I promise you we will,” She finally responded, leaning over and wrapping her arms around her daughter. Ami didn’t reply after that, just enjoyed the warmth from her mother as the rain came down. Another flash of lightning crossed the skies and thunder rang out. In that single moment, a large figure appeared before them, standing in the way to the second wing. Yoshiki grabbed the sword immediately, the blade pointed out. Another flash, and behind them stood a spirit.

“I have to say, that was quite the meal. They were a bit harder to take down than normal, but they were satisfying,” The creature spoke out, his muzzle covered in glowing blood. Ayumi gasped at the sight; the three ghost children… were gone.

“Ehehe… but it’s always nice to have fresh meat, don’t you think?” Sachiko asked the scissors tight in her grip.

“Ahh yes… the sensation of warm blood running down your throat. It never gets old…” The creature answered as the two stepped closer to the family. Yoshiki focused on the creature, knowing he shouldn’t turn his back on it. Ayumi held Ami close, one hand in her pocket, ready to spray out holy water if the spirit got any closer. The creature lunged forward, right at Yoshiki. The blonde was ready for the beast, the sword in his hand ready to swipe. As the creature neared him, he swung his arm, aiming for the throat. But he misjudged his movements, the creature quickly dodging the attack.

“You still don’t know how to use the sword correctly. So sad,” The creature replied, before readying his talons, and swiped them across Yoshiki’s face. Fortunately, only one talon had made contact, the sharp claw digging across the bridge of Yoshiki’s nose. It was deep, as blood started to pool out and stream down his face.

“Oh damn, I missed your eyes,” The creature muttered, before lunging forward again.

“Not this time, you sick bastard,” Yoshiki growled, before swinging the sword out again. He missed his throat, but the sword caught the creature’s shoulder. The blade immediately cut into it. The creature roared out at the new pain, jumping back. Black blood dripped from the wound, and onto the ground.

“Well then, if you’re going to be like that…” The creature started, before lunging again. But this time, he wasn’t going for Yoshiki. He immediately went for Ayumi and Ami. With the two distracted by Sachiko, Ayumi didn’t have enough time to see him before her daughter was ripped right out of her arms.

“Ami!” Ayumi screamed as the creature grabbed the girl by the hood of her jacket and ran over to the nearest pole; he climbed up it quickly, disappearing on the roof.

“No!” Yoshiki ran over, and quickly jumped the fence to see his daughter better. Ayumi looked back to Sachiko, and the ghost child grinned.

“Say goodbye,” She replied as she waved and disappeared…


	10. The End is Near

The school quivered as the spiritual force weakened. Two wandering spirits stopped short when a pulse of energy traveled through the building, shivering in its wake. One spirit was a girl, wearing the female version of a school uniform. Her hair was short; a strand was tied up with two pink spheres. She glanced to the male student next to her. He was much taller than her, wearing the usual male uniform; his hair was a dark grey, and he wore glasses.

“I’m worried Shige-nii… I think… Ayumi and Kishinuma are in trouble…” She spoke out, one arm wrapping around his.

“You know what’ll happen if we go against the core’s orders… that creature will…” He didn’t bother to finish, knowing their final fate would end eventually.

“They’re our friends! We have to try to help them! We can’t just stand back and do nothing! Look at what the three ghost children and Shinohara are doing…” She trailed off, looking away. He let out a sigh.

“And now… the ghost children are gone…” He replied, and her brows furrowed.

“I don’t care! We’re going to help them! It’s the least we can do! Please… Shige-nii,” She pleaded, looking at him with big eyes. He couldn’t say no, especially to her.

“Alright,” He finally responded, and she beamed. She took his hand, and both disappeared within a blue light. A breeze blew through the hallway at their disappearance…

_In the infirmary…_

Aya and Shigeru had awoken only to see their aunt sitting before them, and their little brother back in their mother’s arm. Once having been fully reunited, Aya had gone to go and get off the bed, but stopped short when pain pulsed up her injured leg.

“Mommy… Daddy… it hurts,” She sniffed, the pain having not subsided. Her father stepped in front of her, leaning down.

“I know it does sweetie. How about I give you a piggyback ride till it stops hurting?” He asked, and Aya hesitated to the offer. When she nodded slowly, he smiled. With a little bit of help from Yuka, Aya wrapped her arms securely around her father’s neck, her leg stinging with every small movement. It took all of her willpower to not cry again.

“If you start to get tired, I can carry her for a while,” Yuka stepped in, and Satoshi nodded. He turned to his wife, who was standing by the beds with Koji in her arms and Shigeru next to her.

“Where do you think we should go from here? Now that we’re all back together…” Satoshi trailed off. Their best bet was to try to find a way out.

“O-Oh… daddy…” Aya started.

“Yes sweetheart?” He turned his head slightly to her.

“Before… I was hurt from that bad man… I met a woman… she said that she knew you and mommy from school,” She replied, and Satoshi looked at Naomi.

“Did she tell you her name?” He looked back at her.

“Ayam… Ayumi?” She struggled to remember her rescuers name, but her father immediately knew whom she was talking about. Naomi let out a silent gasp.

“That means… that they’re probably here too,” Naomi murmured.

“We’ll search for them then. If we can get together, there’s a better chance of getting out of this place,” Satoshi replied. All earning nods from his wife and sister, the family started for the door. Once out in the hallway, they started for the staircase leading to the first floor. Another crash of lightning and thunder rounded outside, followed by a loud roar. The group stopped short at the noise, Shigeru hiding his face in his mother’s leg. Aya did the same, hiding her face as well. That roar was all too familiar to her now.

“What was that?” Yuka glanced around, fearing another spirit would appear.

“I don’t know… and I don’t think I want to find out,” Satoshi responded, turning back to the staircase.

“Come on RuRu,” Naomi muttered, taking his hand again, following suit to her husband. Yuka looked down the hallway again, before turning towards her family as well. When the family disappeared, the female spirit from many times before appeared, standing in the middle of the hallway. She had protected her best friend’s family, but something still didn’t feel right in her heart. The core, as well as that creature was out there, and the family was heading right for them. Gazing up, she blinked before growing a spark of determination. She had to warn them, no matter what. Even if her soul was destroyed in the end, at least she had done it protecting her loved one’s family.

“I will help you my dear Naomi… because you never forgot me… even after all these years… What would a best friend be if I didn’t protect you… just one last time?” She smiled softly before stepping forward, going towards the staircase that the family had gone down just minutes before.

“Seiko will protect your babies,” Her body became that of a small blue flame, before it disappeared completely.

As the family had entered the first floor, a male scream split the air, and Aya and Shigeru let out a yelp. Satoshi was about run off, but remembered he was carrying Aya. If someone was in trouble, she shouldn’t get in involved.

“Yuka! Take Aya!” He turned to his sister, in which she obliged and ran over to aid him. When the younger girl was securely on her aunt’s back, Satoshi turned and ran off, the bridge doors not far from their location.

_On the bridge…_

The creature, having grabbed Ami from her parent’s arms, threw the little girl to the rooftop, towering over her as he neared her. In a state of panic, she started to crawl away, until she bumped into something. She glanced behind her, only to see the child spirit from before standing above her. She let out a yelp and crawled back. She gazed between the two, holding herself as she panted heavily.

“What should we do with her?” Sachiko asked the scissors tight in her grip.

“Ahh… We won’t kill her… yet. She holds something precious that I need,” The creature spoke, coming closer to her. Sachiko tilted her head, not having heard of this plan before.

“I thought we were going to kill all of them,” She questioned, and the creature raised his head.

“Of course we are. If you are so desperate for bloodlust, kill the man that is her good-for-nothing father,” He gestured to the blonde that was struggling to climb to the top of the roof. Sachiko grinned, agreeing with him.

“Alright,” She replied before walking down to the roof towards the blonde. Oh, how she had wanted to kill this human from before, his strength was bugging her to no end. He was also the assailant to her cousin that appeased the ghost children. Yoshiki would start climbing the side of the building, the poles holding up the bridge covered in vines; but one vine would snap, and he would fall back to the ground. Ayumi had jumped the fence, running over to him in worry.

“Yoshiki, are you okay?!” She went on her knees as he pressed a hand to his head. He panted heavily as he focused back to the rooftop. He could just see the creature walking forward, probably towards Ami. The thought of his daughter getting hurt sent a new spark of determination in his veins.

“I’m fine… Go into the trees to stay hidden from that thing… and Sachiko. I don’t want you getting caught with them either,” He demanded, and she nodded, getting to her feet.

Right as he was sitting up, Sachiko appeared before him, the scissors opened up towards him.

“I’ve always wanted to play with you…” She spoke before lunging forward, the scissors closing. In a moment, he grabbed her hands, trying to hold her back from slicing his eye open, the sharp, bloody blades right in front of his right eye. He wasn’t expecting her to be so strong, even for being a child. However, he knew she was powerful, her ghostly background giving her powers beyond those that were alive. Suddenly, a flash of lightning and crack of thunder went across the skies, and he didn’t see her put more energy in the struggle. Within seconds, the scissors came forward, and a new pain shot through his brain as his right eye was cut. The cut went right across his pupil, and he shot back, letting out a scream of agony as his hands went over it. Blood pooled over the right side of his face, dripping down and staining his shirt and covering his hands. Through his agonizing pulses, he could hear Sachiko giggling as she brought the scissors forward again.

“Yoshiki no!” He could hear Ayumi scream to him from the tree line, and closed his uninjured eye, readying himself for more pain. Only, no pain came. All he heard a clank as metal against metal hit each other. Opening his eye, he saw a figure standing over him holding Sachiko back with a pocketknife.

“W-What?! You?!” Sachiko looked up to figure and growled, before throwing him back with unknown forces. Whoever the person was, they weren’t giving up the fight, landing back before shooting forward again.

“Stay away! Don’t get in the way of my work!” She demanded, the knife shooting forward and catching the scissors blades again.

“Even I can see through that creature’s plans. Why can’t you?!” The figure had the audacity to fight, and further deepened his fate as he flung the ghost girl back. She landed on her back, but sat up quickly.

“He’s making Heavenly Host a better place,” She responded, and the figure only growled. Yoshiki sat back, watching the two quarrels between each other when his eye caught the creature again. Clenching his teeth, he rose up, withdrawing the sword from his shoulder. With Sachiko distracted, his slipped past them and made his way to the side of the building once again.

“Bullshit! You know better than this Sachiko! He’s destroying the spiritual force! He killed your acquaintances right in front of you! Why are you so blind to his real purposes?!” The figure yelled at her, and her anger only grew.

“Go back to the science lab where you belong, Kizami,” She retorted, but he didn’t move.

“I no longer follow you… neither do the rest of us. We’re no longer following your command,” As the model spoke, spirits started to appear. What was once thousands of lives has now dwindled to a few hundred. The spirits surrounded Sachiko and the model, and the girl looked around her.

“N-No… you’re wrong,” She muttered out.

“We wouldn’t lie to you,” Yuuya spoke, and she stepped back. The scissors that were once strong in her grip fell from her hands, and landed on the wet grass below. From the tree line, Ayumi had been watching the whole thing unravel. Her head started to ache suddenly when hundreds of spirits appeared, standing behind the anatomical model. Never in her life had she so many souls lost to the school that took her friends- wait… we’re they among the group? She couldn’t see well, the spirits transparency making it difficult to make out features.

Another crack of thunder went over the skies as the creature got closer to Ami. The little girl was a shaking mess, backed up against a building wall. She couldn’t escape.

“Hey! You bastard!” A voice rang out, and the creature turned. Another flash of lightning and thunder crossed the skies as a figure stood there, the legendary sword in his hand.

“W-What? You should be dead!” The creature roared, and he smirked.

“Sachiko is battling her own demons. But right now… You should be so kind to give me my daughter back,” He spoke, and the creature cackled.

“You can’t even hold the swords true powers. How are you going to fight a sorcerer like me?” He inquired.

“Like this!” Yoshiki ran forward, and swung the sword, catching the creature’s face. He screeched out as the swords magic burned his cheek. He shook his head, backing away. Yoshiki ran over to Ami, holding her close as he held the sword forward, ready to strike.

“You really are the stubborn one… never giving up on those that you love… even when you’re badly injured,” The creature growled as he stared at the blonde.

“Just because my eye is out doesn’t mean I’m down,” Yoshiki replied, holding Ami closer to him. The girl was frightened out of her mind, watching the creature step closer.

“Let’s see how far you really can go…” The creature spoke, stepping closer…


	11. When Souls are Broken but not Beaten

Satoshi had finally reached the double doors of the bridge, and went to open them. A crash of thunder and lightning from outside broke the skies as he swung them open, starting to run out but stopped short. The rain was now coming down in a huge downpour and the lightning and thunder was growing frequent. To the side, towards the forest, he sensed the air get heavier even with this weather. He could see faint transparent bodies… spirits. Among them was the anatomical model, standing off to… her.

“S-Sachiko?” He muttered out, coming to the rails. Another flash of lightning, a roar chorused with the thunder. It sounded from above, on the roof. Quickly jumping the fence, he went out to get a better look and saw a large dragon-like creature standing off to two humans. The creature was wounded, blood dripping from his face and shoulder. When another flash went across the skies, the creature lunged forward, claws ready to attack. Yoshiki was ready for this thing to attack, swinging the sword out. However, the creature had grown quick. He was gaining energy while Yoshiki was losing it. The thing swung an arm out, talons out and within a flash, blood spurted out.

A scream rang out, and Ayumi immediately let out a gasp. Yoshiki didn’t feel pain; Ami did. The attack had hit her, her arm drenched in blood as three; deep talon marks were etched across her right arm. She huddled to her father closer, tears spilling out from the new pain. This only angered the blonde more; this thing had hurt his daughter. His first instinct was to lash out, but know that he knew this thing was starting to grow in strength while he was losing it; he needed to get Ami away from them. She would be caught in the fight, most likely ending her life. The mere thought of losing his daughter made his blood boil.

The scream caught Satoshi’s attention; it sounded young, like a child. There was a child up there? Looking around, he searched for some sort of weapon, something to distract that thing so that the humans could get down. The scream had also caught the spirits attention. Yuuya clenched his teeth, seething before turning back to Sachiko.

“They’re going to die because of your selfishness! They gave you peace and you’re going to let them die for their accomplishments!” He yelled at the ghost girl, but she stood silent, staring at the creature and the humans fighting him off. She wouldn’t speak, she just stood motionless. This pissed him off more than anything did.

“If you won’t fight for the school, then we will,” He spoke before turning to the rooftop. As the creature strode forward again, Yoshiki held the sword out. The rain wasn’t helping him, he was clearly shivering. The creature saw this and grinned.

“Even if you have a weapon of great power, your own body cannot go against the elements,” He replied, stepping closer again. Suddenly, out of nowhere, something sharp and small was throw at him, and it pierced his throat. The creature screeched out, rearing back. With the creature distracted, Yoshiki took this chance to get Ami away from them.

“Ami, you have to trust me on this,” He looked down at her, and the girl gazed up at her father with watery eyes.

“You’ll be fine, trust me,” He spoke, another flash of lightning crossing the skies.

“Daddy… no…” She shook her head.

“You need to get to your mother. You’ll be safer with her than me,” He replied, but she stayed close. Finding the strength to do so, he grabbed his daughter’s uninjured arm, and moved her to his other side, towards the incline of the roof.

“Daddy! No!” She pleaded, but he didn’t listen.

“Let go sweetheart, she’ll catch you,” He spoke, but she shook her head again. He knew she would do that, so, he didn’t give her the choice to stay. He released her hand. The roof’s surface was slippery due to the rain, and she couldn’t hold on any longer. She slipped down the incline, and fell off. Ayumi brought her hands to her mouth in panic as she saw her daughter fall. Out of instinct, she ran from the tree line, towards her. Ami was expecting to fall to the ground, waiting for more pain. But it never came, she felt someone grab her. When her eyes opened, she looked up to see a brun male looking down at her. She didn’t recognize him, but he smiled with relief.

“You’re okay now, little one. You’re safe with me,” He spoke, and she simply blinked. Ayumi had run up to the two of them, and Ami smiled, jumping out of the man’s arms and going into her mother’s.

“You’re okay! Oh, thank god you’re okay!” Ayumi tightly embraced her daughter, Ami doing the same. Another moment and Ayumi looked up to her daughter’s savior.

“M-Mochida?” She stuttered, remembering that the other two were here as well.

“H-Hey…” He waved nervously. Another crash of thunder and flash of lightning caught their attention as the creature withdrew the sharp object from his neck. It was a pocketknife… a familiar one. Growling, he turned his head and saw the remaining spirits of the school, and the anatomical model.

“You bastard…” He growled at the model, throwing the pocketknife away from him.

“Hey! You!” His attention was caught, looking back at the human. He was alone this time. In his moment of weakness, he had ridded the child from their fight, letting her escape.

“I see… so you let your little one escape,” He spoke out.

“This is our fight, not hers,” Yoshiki sneered, and the creature chuckled.

“Very well. If you want it to be that way. I’ll kill the man that was supposed to die years ago,” The creature stepped forward again, another crash of thunder and lightning going over the skies.

“What do you mean ‘die’?” Yoshiki blinked, still holding the sword forward.

“You didn’t know? The woman you married was supposed to keep her surname… and you were supposed to take hers. It was in the curse, it always would be. But something happened, in a moment of weakness, she caused the curse to fluctuate…” He explained.

“During that moment, it affected a powerful magic that was apart of the spell… in which all men that married into the family… would die after their child was born. Not only did she not keep her surname… but you didn’t die…” He breathed, before lunging forward again. Yoshiki tried to attack, but it missed again. The creature landed on a tower behind him, and lunged. Swiping his talons, the sword was knocked right out of Yoshiki’s hands. It landed down the incline of the roof, over the edge.

“Now, you’re defenseless,” He spoke, Yoshiki landed back, panting. He was losing, he couldn’t fight any longer. The rain was making this fight impossible.

“Yoshiki! Get down from there now! He’ll kill you!” He heard Satoshi… he could recognize that voice anywhere. He wouldn’t give up though.

“N-No! This is my fight… I must fight until the end… At least… I knew I protected my family,” He stood up with some struggle. The creature tilted his head.

“You foolish human. You dare to fight me until your last moments. I’ll give you what you want,” The creature spoke before turning sharply, his tail swinging back. Yoshiki didn’t have time to dodge, and when the lightning and thunder crashed, he felt intense pain in his stomach. The creature’s tail, tipped with sharp, long quills, punctured his stomach. He withdrew his tail, and blood spurted out from the wound. He fell to his knees, holding his stomach with his arms as he coughed up blood.

“Yoshiki!” Satoshi yelled at the blonde. Dammit! His stubbornness is killing him! Ayumi only watched, her eyes widening as she saw him fall. She hid Ami from the scene, not wanting to freak her daughter out. The spirits watched as well, and Yuuya turned back to Sachiko. Her eyes were wide as she saw the creature attack. The model turned back to the roof. In that moment, the doors to the bridge broke open, and the rest of Satoshi’s family ran out.

“Satoshi!” Naomi yelled for him, and the brun male looked over. He ran over to the rail, meeting with his family.

“Naomi, I need all of you to hide in the treeline of the forest… T-That creature… he’s killing… Yoshiki… I don’t want any of you getting hurt,” He demanded, and Naomi and Yuka exchanged glances.

“Alright…” Naomi nodded. Giving Koji to him, she quickly hopped the railing. Satoshi helped Shigeru over next, the smaller boy too short to hop the rail on his own. Aya was next, Yuka couldn’t go over the rail with her on her back. Once all of the family was over, they quickly made their way to the treeline. Satoshi ran back over to Ayumi, still frozen with mental pain.

“Ayumi! I need you to go to the treeline with the others! It’s for you and your daughter’s safety!” He demanded, and she broke from her trance. She nodded, turning and running off with Ami close behind. On the rooftop, Yoshiki refused to fall. Panting heavily, blood streaming from his mouth, he looked back up at the creature.

“Y-You… really… think… I’ve given up… yet?” He coughs out, and the creature turned at his voice. His green eyes narrowed, and walked back to the human.

“You stubborn son of a bitch… just die already!” The creature swung its claws out, hitting the blonde in the side. With little to no strength left, he slipped down the incline of the roof; he caught the edges, barely hanging on. The creature stepped down to him, his talons preventing him from slipping.

“You just don’t give up, do you? You might not be of Shinozaki blood, but I give kudos to you for trying… but I don’t give any mercy to my victims,” He leaned down, murmuring to him. Then, he reached forward, placing his talons on the knuckles of Yoshiki’s hands. Pressing down, the talons pierced the skin, and blood poured from the wounds. Yoshiki choked back a groan, then suddenly, the talons lifted up, and the blonde lost his grip, falling…

“Yoshiki!” Satoshi yelled, running after the male. He knew he wasn’t fast enough though, the blonde would land on the ground hard.

“No… Yoshiki…” Ayumi gasped out, stepping forward. The creature let out a chuckle, before turning around, heading for the abandoned sword. Suddenly, the rain turned a different direction as the wind picked up, and with unknown forces, Yoshiki didn’t fall hard onto the ground that could’ve easily snapped his neck. He landed gently, lying in the wet grass on his side as he panted. Through blurry vision, he could make out two faces looking down at him, both seemingly familiar.

_Suzu…moto… Morshi…ge…_

“Yoshiki!” Satoshi yelled out as he reached him. Instantly, the faces disappeared, and the wind had settled, the rain returning to its straightforward downpour. Landing on his knees, the brun looked over the blonde. He looked worse up close than from afar. His right eye was shut, the deep, bloody scar running across it pooled with fresh blood. The one of his nose had ceased to stop bleeding, but it was deep. Even with it raining, the blood hadn’t completely washed away. The wound in his stomach started to pool underneath, his shirt completely stained with the crimson. Ayumi couldn’t stand it anymore, she ran away from the treeline, against the older man’s orders. Ami was about to follow, but was stopped when Naomi grabbed her.

“Mommy…” She muttered out. Ayumi landed next to Satoshi, panting heavily as she looked over her husband’s wounds. Sobbing, she turned Yoshiki to lie on his back, his head resting on her lap.

“Y-Yoshiki… please… don’t leave me…” She pleaded softly, leaning forward and gently pressing her forehead to his. Tears were starting to stream down her face as she held the blonde.

“A-Ayumi… t-take care… of our daughter…” He croaked out, and her eyes widened, and she rose up, shaking her head.

“No! No! Yoshiki! We’re going to get out of here! We’re going to save you!” She cried, more tears spilling over.

“Y-You can’t leave us… Ami needs her daddy… and I need my husband,” She murmured, leaning down again as her sobs shook her body. Watching the whole scene unfold, Sachiko slowly looked back up at the rooftop where the creature was, walking over to the sword. Her brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing. The wind picked up again as she disappeared…


	12. The Truth comes Out

He walked over to the sword, the blade gleaming even in the darkness of the storm. Right as he reached for it, the wind picked up and something pushed it over the edge of the roof. His eyes widened as he felt a presence behind him. With anger boiling inside and his flame growing hotter, he turned. Sachiko stood there, the once abandoned scissors tight in her grip.

“Ah, little Sachiko… I presume the blonde male is dead?” He inquired; his voice was collected as he stepped forward. She was silent however, only glaring at him. When he wasn’t met with a response, he sensed suspicion.

“Why are you really here?” She finally spoke, and he paused.

“To make Heavenly Host a better place of course…” He replied, a crack of thunder and lightning overhead.

“No. What is your real purpose?” She asked again, and his eyes narrowed. Therefore, she had finally seen through his real plans.

“So we’ve come to the truth… Very well… I shall reveal the truth to you and to those that remain…” He started. She stood there, eyes narrowing at him. When another flash of lightning and thunder cracked the skies, the creature suddenly rose to his back feet, his long slender body stretching out as his arms went out. A glow appears from his elbow to his wrists, and within seconds, his arms had sprouted wings.

“I’m here to destroy Heavenly Host! To destroy this entire dimension until there’s nothing left in existence! Your legacy of being the girl in the red dress will end and so will the rest of this damned place! I will seek my revenge to its fullest!” He roared out, the rain growing harder as lightning flashed out.

“I can’t let you do that,” Sachiko spoke, and the creature cackled.

“Try me,” His jaws opened as his throat lit up. A blast of flames were unleashed at the ghastly spirit, engulfing the area of the roof around her. Within those flames, she could feel her powers being suppressed.

“Now with you out of the way,” He turned to the side of the roof where the sword had fallen. Stroking his wings, he disappeared over the side. Sachiko held her arms up, trying to fight the flames but to no use. The rain couldn’t dowse them either; the fire was resistant to water. Moments later, he reappeared; the swords handle in one of his hands. However, he wasn’t done yet.

He still needed the child… maybe one of the other children as a bonus. Turning towards the direction of the family, he spread his wings again and flew down; through the ghostly crowd, the spirits disappearing instantly as he flew through them. They were like smoke, vaporizing into the air.

“RuRu! Yuka! Get back!” Naomi turned to them, running deeper into the forest. Ami followed, but was quickly grabbed by the creature at the hood of her jacket. Shigeru had run, but tripped on a tree root, his grip in his mother’s hand slipping and he fell on his stomach. In his moment of weakness, the creature saw a chance and grabbed the child with a swish of his head; his fang caught the boy’s shirt.

“Shigeru! No!” Naomi yelled for her older son, and the boy screamed for his mother, reaching out as the creature flew off. Satoshi witnessed the whole thing, and the anger only grew. First his best friend, now his son. Looking back at Ayumi, he could still see a glint in Yoshiki’s open eye, that and his slowly moving chest were the only signs he was still alive. He looked around, searching for something to climb to the roof. Dropping the children on the rooftop again, he landed before them, trapping them between him and the drop behind.

“Now… I will get the abilities I need…” The creature muttered, crouching as he stepped forward. The children crawled away from him, but stopped short when they were at the edge. Falling from this height would snap ones neck if they jumped.

“Hey!” A voice caught the creature, and he turned his head.

“Now what?!” He snapped, and rose from his position, seeing a brun male standing before them. Narrowing his eyes, he grinned and started to laugh.

“Ahaha! You really think you’re going to fight me?! How pathetic!” He continued to laugh.

“No… I’m not,” Satoshi started, and the creature looked back at him through narrow eyes.

“All of you really are foolish humans. Sentencing your death when you go against me,” The creature sneered, turning towards the brun. Without warning, a force pushed back the creature, sending him to this side. Satoshi blinked, looking back towards the flames, and could just see Sachiko smiling. Before the creature awoke again, he twisted around to the children. Satoshi dived forward, grabbing Shigeru in the process. However, he misjudged his movements, and was struggling to hang onto the sides as Shigeru hugged his body. Ami was too far for him to reach, if he moved at all, his feet would slip and so would his hands.

“D-Daddy…” He could hear Shigeru murmuring to him as he huddled closer to his father.

“Shigeru… don’t move… okay? If we fall… I want you to hug me as tight as you can, okay?” He reassured his son, and he could feel him nod. At least he could cushion the fall for his son. Suddenly, he could feel the roof plates started crumble underneath, the weight of both of them too much.

“Well well well, looks like daddy is in quite the predicament …” The creature rose again, seeing the adult’s predicament. Looking to Shigeru and back to the creature, Satoshi only had so many options. To fall, and risk both their lives… or be caught with this fire-breathing animal. He didn’t have much of a choice when the roof gave away. Feeling his grip finally slip, he held Shigeru close as both fell.

“No…” Naomi gasped, watching them fall. When a snap echoed out, followed by a scream of agony, she knew something was wrong. Fortunately, for the both of them, they were still alive. Shigeru had escaped with little to no injury, and released from his father’s embrace. He could only watch as the older male writhed in pain, falling to his side as he panted. He leg had broken, maybe even shattered. All he knew was that there was intense pain coursing through his leg.

Ayumi, clouded by her sorrow, closed her eyes at the snap. Everybody was falling apart. It wouldn’t be long before she and the rest joined them. She held Yoshiki closer, trying her best to comfort herself and him; she combed her fingers through his matted hair gently, afraid she would hurt him. Another scream split the air, and Ayumi looked up, realizing her daughter was on the roof again. Her eyes widened, letting out a gasp.

Seeing that the brun had fallen with the child, the creature turned back to Ami, closing in towards as she was backed up against a wall.

“Now… I’ll possess the abilities that run in the Shinozaki family,” The creature remarked, his throat lighting up as another round of flames were about to be unleashed on the child. Ami put her arms up, trying to shield herself from the oncoming attack. Within seconds, the flames were unleashed on her. Ami didn’t feel the intense burning. When her eyes opened slowly, she could see the flames bouncing around her. Was there something there protecting her?

“You’re okay, little one. He’s not going to hurt you,” Ami gasped when she heard a voice. That’s when she realized that somebody was leaning over her, their form preventing the flames from touching her. Ami only blinked, unable to speak. It was when he stopped that he realized she was still alive, not even touched by the intense fire. Slamming his hand down, the flames extinguished, and let out a hiss of annoyance as to why she wasn’t dead. Another spirit had protected her, and when the flames disappeared, the apparition stood, standing before the child in a protective matter.

“Step down now,” He ordered, but she didn’t move.

“I don’t listen to you,” The spirit responded, and this only added fuel to the fire.

“So brave of you to go against me… so… foolish,” He hissed his throat lighting up again. Lightning and thunder crashed above, and within that moment, more spirits started to manifest around him. A male student appeared next to the older woman, wanting to protect the child as well.

“All of you are no match for me! Fighting me is useless!” He gazed around, the spirits doing nothing but appearing. They weren’t attacking. When his hand came down on the roof tiles, he gasped and looked behind him, realizing his mistake. The flames had disappeared around the girl in the red dress. She rose as the fire died, panting, but otherwise unharmed from the blaze.

“We aren’t fighting you… we’re rejecting you,” She spoke, and his mouth went agape. His eyes went wide as he turned to her, the rain still coming down hard.

Below, just underneath the bridge, apart of the railing had fallen, and the humans moved the injured underneath.

“Ahh… this really hurts…” Satoshi breathed deeply as he crawled in, unable to walk anymore with a broken leg. Yoshiki was barely alive, trying to cling on to the last bit of breath he had in him. He couldn’t give up this fight, no matter how much his body told him to fall asleep.

“I-I’m sowwy daddy…” Shigeru sniffed, feeling like it was his fault that his father was hurt. Satoshi smiled sadly, and leaned over to the boy, patting his head.

“This isn’t your fault, RuRu. I’m just happy you’re okay,” Satoshi reassured, and Shigeru blinked. Naomi sat next to her husband, holding Koji tight to her as he slept. Just the way his leg was angle, she could tell it had twisted in a way it wasn’t supposed to. The fall he took would have snapped it, probably even more so with the way he landed. More lightning and thunder crashed above, and before they could react, two blue flames appeared before them. Those that were still alert became startled; RuRu hid his face in his father’s sleeve. Above them, the group of spirits surrounded the creature while Sachiko confronted him.

“What you have done to this dimension… to my creation, is beyond a crime,” She started to speak, but he cackled.

“Your creation? What you actually mean is that you stole my power all those years ago to create this blood-ridden school… to protect the secret that has been hidden with your family name for generations,” He interrupted, and she blinked.

“That sword is a family relic. Those that aren’t of Shinozaki blood wouldn’t be able to handle its power,” She continued.

“That would explain a lot with the blonde,” He muttered.

“Alright, Sachiko. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you the sword, but in return, I get the school, and all the spirits within it. If you don’t take the deal, I’ll kill every single thing that is present in the school,” He bargained, and she was silent.

“No,” She simply said, and a growled radiated from his throat. The spirits glanced at her and at each other.

“Very well… I’ll kill every last one of you,” He turned towards the spirits.

“I wasn’t done speaking,” She interrupted, and he turned back to her.

“Okay, go on,” He waved his hand. At that moment, even through the rain, a black plume of smoke started to form, entering from under her feet and around circled around the roof.

“The school is under my command. I am the core because the school has chosen me. You can’t force yourself on the school… or deeper consequences will become clear. I created this dimension, and I can destroy it. You, however, are like a virus. You come here, and start to take apart the school slowly but surely… but eventually… you will die out,” As she spoke, the smoke started to encircle him, and him alone.

“You really think your little tricks will tame me?” He tilted his head, and a hand went down on the roof tiles, and the smoke swayed away.

“Darkening isn’t a little trick. Once it’s inside you, you can’t escape it,” Sachiko replied, and he blinked. As more lightning and thunder crossed the skies, the spirits cleared away, the two that had been protecting Ami turned to the young child.

“Do not be afraid little one, you will be with your mother very soon,” The older woman leaned down, but Ami stayed silent; she only nodded. Then, the woman reached forward, pressing a hand to the child’s head. A moment later, and, along with the male spirit, the three of them disappeared. The creature looked around and back at Sachiko, his head rising when he noticed her pupils were tinted with red…

Underneath the bridge, the blue flames quivered as they grew larger. When the light cleared away, the adults couldn’t help but gasp.

“S-Sei…ko…” Naomi muttered out, recognizing one of the spirits that stood before them. At the mention of her name, she dipped her head in response, smiling.

“Suzumoto…” Satoshi breathed out, and Ayumi picked her head up at the name.

“Listen to us, this bridge will become unstable in a short amount of time and collapse. We’ve come to aid you to enter the forest, where it’s safer,” Mayu stepped forward, speaking for the both of them as Seiko was unable to talk. With quick glances between them, they nodded in agreement. From behind the two spirits, a light appeared, and grew brighter. When it dimmed, Ami was sitting on the concrete, rubbing her eyes. Two more spirits appeared the two that had saved her.

“Ami!” Ayumi gasped, and the little girl perked up and smiled, happy to see her mother. She rose to her feet, and ran past the two spirits to her mother. The two embraced tightly, and broke away when Ami noticed her father.

“Daddy?” She leaned over him, and his one open eye focused on her, and he smiled softly. At least he knew his daughter was okay. With a low rumble from above, Mayu and Seiko looked at each other before back at the group.

“We have to hurry,” Mayu pressed, and Naomi got to her feet in silence. She didn’t know what to say, now that she was seeing the very person that had haunted her dreams for years. Here, standing before them, were the four people that was ripped away from existence, and the five had to live with the guilt of being alive. With some help, Seiko had been the one to help Satoshi to his feet; he bit back a scream of pain, balancing himself out with one leg. Yoshiki had proven to be harder to move. On the brink of death, he was barely awake, so he was less responsive. He let out a weak groan of pain when he was lifted onto Sakutaro’s shoulder, their former teacher, Ms. Yui on his other side. Without another moment lost, the group moved out from underneath the bridge and towards the forest…


	13. Sachiko's Wrath

The storm grew in ferocity, the clouds starting to circle above them as the thunder and lightning grew intense. The wind picked up, blowing the hard downpour to an angle. Sachiko stood motionless as the storm raged on, the black smoke encircling the creature. He repeatedly kept throwing it back, but that only made it grow stronger.

“You… think a… little storm is… going to stop me?” The creature laughed, panting. Sachiko did not answer him. Even with this creature being dead, and as hot as lava, the darkening would start affecting his sanity. No one, in the base of centuries, had stood up to this seemingly unbeatable sorcerer. He was trespassing on her territory though; this was her land, her sky. She could control the heavens and hells, she was life and she was death. When he didn’t get a response, and chuckled, readying a spell in the palm of his hands.

The storm continued to swirl above them, the lightning striking everywhere. He reared up, throwing the swirl of magic into the air, towards the center of the storm. What he didn’t see coming was the flashes of lightning to strike back at him, the bolts of electricity striking right through the black magic and destroying it. A bright flash of light lit up from the contact. But the storm was not calmed. It only grew stronger in intensity. It was a like an untamed beast, only growing angrier at each passing second. This storm was representing Sachiko’s emotions towards the creature. The creature’s mouth was agape, and he looked back at Sachiko. At this point, the ghastly spirit was in the air, her dress and hair swaying in the wind. Her eyes were no longer the dull grey-blue… they were a piercing red.

Suddenly, she threw her hand out towards the creature. He was expecting the storm to strike him. But it didn’t. Instead, he felt a warm liquid on the base of his nose. It started to burn him, and he screeched out. He glanced up at her, noticing she was grinning manically. She brought her hand up, a slit across the palm of her hand, blood pouring out as it dripped. Within the cut, there was a shine of some sort, but it wasn’t the blood. He glanced down, and his eyes widened. She had retrieved the sword, it below her, the tip of its blade stained with her blood.

“Unlike many of those… few in the Shinozaki name… know the real secret to destroying you,” She spoke, as the burning grew more intense; it started to travel through his entire body.

“N-No! You cannot destroy me! Mark my words Sachiko! I will return to get my revenge!” He roared.

“Save your breath, _Xiuhcoatl_ ,” She breathed, and he let out a gasp.

“H-How… did you know… my name?” He breathed, and she smiled.

“All of us have our own little secrets, now don’t we?” She tilted her head. He didn’t have a chance to reply before the storm crashed above, and lightning struck below, striking his body in the process. He screeched out, the burning that was once present had grown by a tenfold. His screams of agony were swallowed as thunder crashed out, and a light exploded out from his body, before it dimmed. The bridge had collapsed under the extreme power of the storm, the roof having caved in. A pile of rubble sit underneath, smoke rising as it entered back into Sachiko’s body.

The storm began weaken, the heavy downpour having finally settled to a light drizzle. Lightning and thunder had finally calmed the dark clouds that had plagued the dimension for decades were starting to clear. Through those clouds, a sun that had not been seen by many for so long, had finally broke through the clouds. Sachiko came down before the rubble, seeing what had become of him. Lying there, on top of a piece of wood, a large reptilian-like skull hung there. There was no sign of the rest of his body; the tar that had covered his body splattered everywhere. But eventually, even it disappeared. The spirits started to appear again, gathering around Sachiko.

“What will we do now Sachiko?” A spirit asked, and she was silent. Slowly, her red dress, stained with the color of crimson, started to change into a soft yellow. Messy hair, matted and unkempt, started to turn soft, two barrettes holding her bangs back. As the sun brightened over the school and forest, the rain finally stopped, raindrops dripping off trees and covering the grass. Around her, the spirits started to lose their transparency, their pale blue hue turning to the color of human again, and the school outfit’s they had died in turned white. The wounds, the scars they had died with healed over, the pain gone. Even Yuuya had returned to a normal looking human. His skin, having been ripped off his body, returned as a white shirt and pants appeared over his body. He let out a gasp, feeling the need to breathe after so long. In the forest, the four that had helped the nine that were living, had returned normal as well, their clothes turning white. Seiko no longer felt the tug at her throat, the reason she could speak returning to her.

The group of nine had only watched as the creature was destroyed, and watched their friends, plagued by the pain and sorrow for so long, returned into flesh and bones. Sachiko walked up to the group, the spirits behind her.

“S-Sachiko… what’s going on? What’s happened to all of you?” Ayumi voice cracked as she asked.

“The curse has been broken. The school is no longer held under a dark age of pain and sorrow. Soon, this entire dimension will disappear, as well as all of us,” She replied, the other four spirits staying silent.

“Where will we go?” Seiko, finally having a voice, asked, and Sachiko smiled softly.

“To the place we all deserve to go,” She responded, and the spirits exchanged glances.

“W-What about us?” Satoshi interrupted, and Sachiko blinked.

“All of you… will return to the real world. The curse of Heavenly Host no longer will plague your minds… and your children will live happily. I’m… so sorry I brought you back here… and brought your children into the mix-” A low rumble cut her off, and the school behind them started to shake and shiver. Slowly, it started to dissipate and float into the skies above.

“You must hurry… Your time to escape is running out… Your goodbyes must be short…” Sachiko warned them. At her words, Naomi rose to her feet, Koji still in her arms. She faced Seiko, the shorter brunette smiling at her friend. The adult couldn’t stand it anymore; she lunged forward, embracing her best friend, small sobs escaping her.

“H-Hey… you still haven’t forgiven yourself? Naomi… You know I would always forgive you,” Seiko spoke, wrapping her arms around her friend.

“B-But… I killed you… H-How can you-”

“Hey now, don’t act like that! You’re not acting like the strong Naomi I’ve come to love!” Seiko teased, and Naomi only shivered as she pressed her forehead to the older brunette's. They broke apart, and Seiko just continued to smile.

“You have beautiful children too, I’m so proud of you Naomi,” She replied, and the older brunette sniffed. Their goodbyes were short lived when the ground rumbled again. Everybody turned back to the school, the building almost gone.

“Listen to me… all of you must be together; holding hands or something, you mustn’t separate…” Sachiko replied quickly, and Naomi nodded, breaking away from Seiko as the ground continued to shake. The spirits started to lift off the ground as well.

“W-Wait! Sachiko!” Ayumi called for the child spirit, and the girl blinked.

“W-What about those… that were killed by that creature?” She asked, and Sachiko smiled.

“They are waiting for us,” She replied, and Ayumi blinked. The adult glanced at the others as the ground continued to rumble. Soon, the ground was starting to dissipate. The group of living huddled together, the children tight in their parents grasp. With one last effort, Sachiko waved her hand out, using the last bit of magic from the sword to return the group. A white light enveloped them, as it grew brighter.

Before they disappeared… they heard a voice…

_Thank you._


	14. Wounds will Heal

The skies were dark, the moon shining bright and the stars twinkling. Clouds rolled in the distance, a storm having passed through that day. Raindrops dripped off trees and buildings, puddles formed on the ground. A school building, having long since closed down for the day, sat silently in the cool night. In the schoolyard, nine figures lay on the muddy ground.

One flinched as she awoke, her eyes fluttering open as consciousness came to her. She sat up slowly, her clothes drenched and muddy. She gazed around with blurred vision, and realized it was nighttime. However, the darkness wasn’t from an old, rotting empty building. It was that peaceful darkness… when the sun fell and the moon rose. She suddenly realized that she was home.

Glancing around, she saw nine other figures, and her heart swelled. They all made it back. Soon after, the other three had awoken, as well as the children… well… most of them. Ayumi remembered her husband’s condition, and quickly crawled over to his form, looking over him. He didn’t seem to be breathing… and his eyes were closed.

“No… No, Yoshiki! Please! Wake up!” She cried out, she shook him gently, but got no response. She felt as if her world had stopped. The tears were unstoppable now; she leaned over him, gently pressing her forehead to his.

“Y-You… can’t leave me… please…” She sobbed, her eyes closed as more tears spilled out. Satoshi lay on his good side, the pain in his leg becoming unbearable. His heart sank when Yoshiki was unresponsive. He couldn’t have given up that easily… could he? Maybe he had… his body was already put through a lot. Naomi crawled over to Ayumi, scanning Yoshiki’s body closely. Reaching out, she placed two fingers on his bloody wrists, the wounds from his knuckles having streamed blood all over his hands. After pausing for a moment… she could just make out a small pulse. It was weak, but it was something.

“Ayumi… don’t worry… he’s alive…” She breathed, and the woman perked up.

“We need to get everyone to the hospital,” Naomi murmured, and Yuka was already on her phone. Within minutes, two ambulances parked before the school, their lights blinking brightly. Four paramedics exited from the back, reeling in beds up to the group.

“How is he?” A male paramedic ran up to Ayumi and Naomi, looking over Yoshiki.

“Not good. He’s lost consciousness… as well as a lot of blood. I don’t know how much longer he’ll be alive,” Naomi explained, while Ayumi stayed silent.

“Very well. Let’s get him onto the backboard,” The man turned to another paramedic, and the other nodded. With some help, they were able to get him on the bed. Satoshi had been placed in the other bed, unable to walk any more. One of the paramedics asked the rest of the Mochida family to ride with them, Aya’s knee injury a growing concern to the paramedics. Ami went up to her mother, hugging her side as she watched her father disappear into the ambulance. One of the men came back out. When he noticed Ami’s arm injury, he went up to them.

“Are you his family?” He asked, and Ayumi nodded.

“Come with us, your daughter needs treatment as well,” He spoke, and Ayumi breathed. She looked down to Ami, the little girl looking up at her with big eyes. She had completely forgotten about her daughter’s arm injury. Now, she felt like a horrible parent. She shook her head to rid of her thoughts, and walked over to the ambulance. With some help, Ami was lifted first, one of the paramedics already looking at her arm. Ayumi came in next, sitting next to her daughter. She looked over to Yoshiki, a breathing mask already over his face, as the other paramedic was quick at work. With everyone loaded, both ambulances drove off, towards the direction of the hospital…

_At the city’s hospital…_

When the ambulances pulled up to the emergency entrance, nurses were already there to help. First Yoshiki was wheeled out, his life dwindling away with every second that passed. Satoshi followed his leg injury in need of major medical care. The rest of the family came last, some nurses coming out to meet with them before guiding them back in. Ayumi sat in a small hospital room, Ami in her lap as a nurse looked over the wound on the young girl’s arm. It was deep, but it was stopped bleeding long ago. That didn’t mean the pain hadn’t ceased. Ami winced and squirmed as the nurse applied anti-bacterial cream and other medical products to help with healing. Soon after, her arm was wrapped up in a thick layer of bandages.

“And how about you?” The nurse turned to Ayumi, and the young woman shook her head nervously.

“I-I’m fine… really,” Ayumi replied, but the nurse looked at her skeptically.

“You seem a bit pale… when is the last time you’ve had anything to drink?” The nurse questioned, and Ayumi’s breathed hitched.

“U-Uh… a while…” Ayumi glanced away, and the nurse snorted.

“Well then, we should fix that. We’ll hook you up to some fluids so you don’t risk dehydration,” The nurse turned, going to exit the door.

“W-Wait? An I.V.? B-But-” She didn’t have time to finish before the door shut on her. She let out a sigh. Ami tilted her head at her mother, blinking.

“W-What’s an I.V.?” Ami asked, and Ayumi smiled sadly at the young girl. She reached over, patting the young girl on the head.

“They’re going to give me a shot, little one,” Ayumi answered, and Ami’s eyes widened.

“B-But shots hurt!” Ami knew well of the small needles. She hated coming to the hospital because of that very reason. Her usually calm demeanor would be replaced with a fit of cries. She didn’t like needles… neither did her mother.

“I know, Ami. But, I’ll have to be strong if I’m going to get better,” Ayumi sighed, not looking forward to this. But she knew she was having it better than her husband. Last, she had heard, he was in surgery, doctors and nurses trying to fix the puncture wound and any bleeding to his organs. One doctor had told her he would be permanently blind in the eye that was scratched.

It around midnight when Ayumi and Ami had been released from their room. Ayumi could still feel the stinging in her arm, but dared not to touch it. As she walked out into the waiting room, she immediately saw Naomi and her family. It was very rare when a nurse was the one being examined for injuries. Naomi felt a tinge of embarrassment, but her family came first. The three children were checked over, Koji and Aya being the source of the doctor and nurses concern. Koji, with some time, would return to a healthy infant. Aya’s knee injury had been completely stripped of its previous bandaging. With some numbing ointments, they were able to take the stitches out without much of a problem. The wound was easily cleaned, and re-bandaged. To help her walk, she was given a crutch so she could stay off the leg as much as possible. Naomi’s own injury, her enflamed ankle was treated correctly, and now the pain was no longer a problem. The mother perked up when she saw Ayumi and her daughter walk over to them. Ami’s previously injured arm was bandaged, and Ayumi didn’t seem as pale from before.

“H-Hey Naomi… um… any news on Mo- Satoshi?” Ayumi asked, walking up to the larger family. Naomi blinked while she cradled Koji, her two children on both of her sides as they slept. Yuka was in the chair next to them, stretched out.

“Well… according to the doctor, his knee cap had completely shattered and his lower leg has a pretty nasty snap. It’ll be a while before he’ll be able to walk normally again,” Naomi replied, and Ayumi nodded. The woman then sat down in a chair next to the larger family, Ami joining her side.

“Have you… heard anything on your husband?” Naomi looked to her, and she paused.

“He’s in surgery as far as I know… he’ll be blind in one of his eyes for the rest of his life,” She dipped her head, hiding her eyes with her bangs. Naomi frowned, knowing Ayumi wasn’t one to handle loss well when it came to anybody close to her. The brunette wasn’t sure what Ayumi would do if Yoshiki didn’t make it.

“Ayumi…” Naomi started, catching the other woman’s attention.

“…He’ll make it… I know he will… he’s a strong person, and he wouldn’t give up so easily… especially for you or your daughter,” Naomi spoke and Ayumi could only blink. She smiled softly moments later, dipping her head in silent thanks. The families continued to chat quietly. The three of them hadn’t seen each other for many years, mostly because they had all gone to universities all over Japan. Over time, they branched off on their own to start families. The children continued to sleep, it having been late in the night; Koji would occasionally wake up to be fed. It was around three in the morning when a nurse stepped over to them. Naomi, who was half-asleep, perked up when she saw the nurse. Yuka fell asleep of the arm of the chair, breathing softly. Ayumi had fallen asleep against Ami, who used her mother’s side as a pillow.

“Mrs. Mochida?” The nurse asked, and Naomi blinked, growing alert.

“That’s me,” She answered, and the nurse smiled.

“Your husband has come out of surgery, he’s requested that his family come and see him,” She replied, and Naomi blinked again. He went into surgery? Was the break that bad?

“O-Of course,” She stammered, shifting around so she could wake up the little ones on her sides. She tapped her foot against Yuka’s, and the younger girl awoke suddenly, her eyelids heavy. With all the commotion, Ayumi had awoken slowly as well. With some effort, Naomi was able to convince her two sleepy children to walk off to their father’s room, followed by Yuka.

“Excuse me… um… nurse?” Ayumi caught the nurse that stood there, and the young woman turned to her. She walked over to her.

“May I help you?” She asked, and Ayumi hesitated.

“Is there any news on my husband, Yoshiki Kishinuma?” She asked, and the nurse paused.

“Oh yes. He’s made it through surgery but he’s still recovering from the lasting affects of his medication. It’ll be a while before he wakes up again. But, if you want to see him, you can follow me,” The nurse responded, and Ayumi’s worries were washed away.

He was okay… he was alive.

Gently nudging Ami awake, the two of them followed the nurse back into the maze of hallways. Upon coming to a door, the nurse turned and gestured for Ayumi to enter. Hesitantly, she grabbed the doorknob and went in. The room was considerably dark, apart from the dim light coming off from the wall. When she saw him lying there, his body hooked up to wires and tubes everywhere, her heart went into her throat. Standing next to his bed, she looked over him, his head wrapped up in bandages as it covered over the injured eye. A nosepiece was helping him breath, and wires hooked up to his arms, helping keep his health in check. Machines beeped here and there, regulating his vitals as he slept. Ami walked up next to her mother, staring at her father. She seemed scared of him, barely recognizing her father underneath everything.

“Mommy… is daddy… going to be okay?” Ami looked up to her mother, and Ayumi was silent, before a small smile crossed her lips.

“Of course sweetie, but right now he’s sleeping. We shouldn’t disturb him,” She whispered back to the young girl, and Ami nodded before looking back at her father. Ayumi eventually put Ami back to sleep, placing her in one of the chairs in the room. The young girl couldn’t fight her own drowsiness, her mind and body too tired to stay awake. With her daughter sleeping, she turned back to her husband, sitting down in the chair next to the bed. Gently, she placed her hand on top of his, afraid she’d cause pain to him in his slumber; his hands were bandaged from the wounds on his knuckles.

“I’m so glad you’re alive… I wouldn’t know what to do without you, neither would Ami,” She murmured softly, gazing at his sleeping form. His chest fell and rose with each breathe he took. She eventually fell asleep, her head lying in her arms as she lay over his bedside. Even she didn’t have the energy to stay awake...

It was late morning; the sun had already risen above the horizon. The curtains were just thin enough to let some light shine through. His eye fluttered open, his body was aching everywhere. He couldn’t see out of his right eye, and finally sensed that it was covered over. He could feel the scratch, and it bothered him. The events of the previous day came flooding back to him, and he sighed. Why were they always involved? He finally realized that somebody was sleeping on the side of his bed, and he glanced over, recognizing familiar indigo hair.

“A-Ayumi…” He croaked out, cracking a small smile. She wasn’t hurt. She was safe and so was Ami. He saw the young girl before he completely blacked out. Ayumi would never let their daughter get hurt. Another hour passed, and she had awoken to him, a soft smile on his lips as he gazed at her. She was never so happy to see him awake. She leaned over, their foreheads contacting as she breathed in his scent. It smelled of sour medicine and plastic, but she didn’t care. Underneath all those bandages, he might’ve been beaten and broken, but he didn’t give up. He fought for everybody’s life yesterday, and still came out in the end.

Ami woke minutes later, and when saw her father was awake, she was quick to hop on his bed. Her mother warned her not to sit on his stomach, as she often did to wake him up in the mornings, and she obliged. She laid next his body, just happy at the fact that her father was okay. As the day went on, doctors and nurses had come into the room, checking Yoshiki’s vitals, as well as bringing him tiny meals. He didn’t eat them though; he didn’t like to eat hospital food.

Around mid afternoon, the small family got a knock on the door, and they perked up at the noise. Ayumi turned, ready to go answer it when it opened by itself. She was expecting a nurse or a doctor, but instead, there standing in the doorway, was Satoshi on crutches. His leg was covered in a thick cast; doctors were afraid the pins surgically placed in his lower leg would come out and further harm than heal his break.

“S-Satoshi? W-What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be… you know… resting?” Ayumi stuttered as he came in, and Naomi was close behind him. For once, since their entire visit, Koji wasn’t in her arms. Ayumi could only guess the hospital supplied the mother with a temporary crib to let her rest.

“Aha… well I couldn’t help but see you guys… besides, I wouldn’t leave her alone until I knew of Yoshiki’s condition,” He gestured to his wife, Naomi shaking her head.

“W-Well, let’s get you a chair or something… you shouldn’t be up and about with your leg,” Ayumi glanced around the room, before going over and grabbing a chair. The brun male sighed as he sat; glad he was off the crutches. He was already tired of them, and he had barely used them. Naomi sat next to him, placing a hand over his.

“W-Wait… where are the kids?” Ayumi suddenly noticed the children’s absence.

“Yuka took them down to the café on the first floor. They were pretty hungry,” Satoshi responded, and Ayumi suddenly felt bad. It had been awhile since Ami had eaten, the little girl must’ve been starving. She would treat the girl once the Mochida’s left the room.

“It’s good to see you’re okay, Yoshiki…” Satoshi turned to the blonde, and he chuckled.

“Ahaha… you should see yourself,” The blonde replied, and the adults laughed. The four of them continued to talk, catching up on life before everything happened. But all good things had to end. Satoshi had to get back to his room, and Yoshiki needed to rest. With some struggle, Satoshi was able to get up and back on his crutches, and with some last goodbyes, the two of them exited the room.

“Why did we ever separate…?” Ayumi inquired, her eyes getting a distancing look to them.

“Things happen Ayumi, sometimes… best friends have to go separate ways,” Yoshiki spoke, and she closed her eyes.

“I hope we can change that,” She replied before looking over at him. “Why don’t you rest…? I’m going to take Ami down to the café. It’s been awhile since she’s last eaten,” At the sound of her name, the little girl perked up from her seat.

“Alright…” He wheezed. She turned, ushering Ami over. As the two of them walked out, she looked back and smiled at him.

They made it.

They fought against hell.

And won…


	15. All Good things have to End

_One year later…_

A year had passed since that fateful night. The children surprisingly suffered few nightmares of the school since then. They grew up as any other normal child, continuing to learn and play. Koji had also grown, becoming a healthy one-year old. Ami was growing the most out of the four; Ayumi had discovered that the young girl possessed psychic powers, her energy being much more powerful than her own mother’s. To help protect the young girl from the dangers of the paranormal, Ayumi went out and searched for a guard, anything to keep the girl from harm.

Her search ended when she found a Shiba Inu pup in a pet store one day. She could sense great energy coming off the young dog. Not only was he worthy… but his eyes held two different colors: that of amber, and that of cyan. Ami was ecstatic when she received the puppy as a gift. Both parents knew it would at least give their daughter a new friend.

Those that were harmed that night had also recovered. Aya, only a month later, was back on her feet without the need of a crutch to help her walk. Satoshi was still healing, but he was starting to walk on his wounded leg normally again. Even though it was a good sign of it getting better, he still would need some aid.

Yoshiki was the one that shocked everybody the most. He was out of bed rest after only three weeks, persistent enough that he was okay. The doctors agreed to release him, the wound to his stomach having healed enough to go home. The eye that was scratched over eventually opened, a deep whitening scar across his pupil, leading to permanent blindness. Now, Ayumi, as well as Ami, were helping him cope with one eye. It was a time-consuming task, but he got used to it in a matter of days.

_Somewhere in Japan…_

Naomi looked at today’s date on her phone, letting out a deep sigh before locking it and placing it back on the table. November 3rd. The day where everybody’s lives were dramatically changed forever. It was quiet in the Mochida household; the only other resident now was Koji. He was napping now, leaving the mother to have some peace. Satoshi had to be at work early today, and her other two children were at school. She always took this day off, because she never wanted to be reminded of that horrible hell while at work. She didn’t want to break down before her co-workers and bosses.

However, for some reason, unlike the years before, she actually seemed to enjoy the quiet of the house. Her mind was at ease for the first time in a long time… because, she was able to hold, to see her obnoxious, perverted friend one last time. That hug had put her aching heart to rest.

She jumped when the home phone started ringing, it completely breaking the silence of the kitchen. Rising from her chair, she walked over and picked up the line, wandering if Satoshi had, yet again, forgotten something at home. He always ended up doing that, and she always happened to be off the days he did it. To her surprise, it wasn’t him, but a young man’s voice.

“H-Hello? Is this the Mochida household?” The voice asked, and she blinked, not recognizing who this was.

“Yes… I’m Naomi Mochida… may I help you?” She answered, and she swore there was a sigh of relief on the other end.

“Oh thank goodness it’s you Naomi… I’ve been meaning to contact you… but never got around to doing so,” The young man was relieved to hear her voice.

“Who is this?” She pressed.

“A-Ah! Sorry for my poor manners, Mrs. Mochida… I’m Yuu Shinohara,” The moment she heard his name, she thought her heart stopped. Her best friend’s little brother… the child she had almost stopped all those years ago to ask of his nonexistent sister.

“Y-Yuu… H-How do you know me…?” She breathed.

“You were my sister’s best friend, am I correct?” Her eyes widened.

No.

It couldn’t be.

This had to be some sick joke that the world was playing.

He couldn’t possibly remember… Could he?

“Y-Yes…” She choked back a sob. She couldn’t cry, she had to be strong.

“Well… I was wondering… if you’d like to join me and my younger siblings to go visit her grave today… I mean… today was the day she disappeared… And… she was always incredibly close to you,” His next words only made the mental pain grow stronger.

Grave?

“A-Ah… Of course… I just… I’ll have my one year old with me if that’s okay…” She found it hard to form words. Her heart was beating too hard, she felt as if it could explode right out of her chest at any moment.

“That’s fine. Alright, We’ll meet soon at the Tenjin cemetery,” He responded.

“R-Right…” The call soon hung up, and she placed the phone back in place. She had to wrap her head around this… for so long… the world had forgotten their fallen friends. Now, it was like as if they were never gone.

The curse was broken. Did that mean…

That everybody that died in that school…

…Would be remembered by those that didn’t experience the hellish nightmare?

_At the Tenjin cemetery…_

It had taken some convincing, but after only a few hours, her reluctant one year old finally agreed to go. Upon driving up to the cemetery, she felt cold. These kinds of places always made her feel fear, its ominous atmosphere wasn’t appealing to her. Koji didn’t seem to notice it, his young mind was too innocent to see places like this as scary. Rows among rows were graves. All different shapes and sizes, she only wondered where her best friend’s stood. She noticed a group of three people, two men and a woman. Walking up to them, Koji’s hands in hers, the three of them turned to her.

“You must be Naomi, right?” The man asked, and she nodded, gratefully shaking his hand. Last she had seen Yuu, he was beginning high school. Since then, he had grown into a handsome young man. The other two were his siblings, also having grown into attractive young adults. After greeting each other, Yuu led the group as they went down the rows. Finally he stopped, turning to one. Naomi looked at the grave, noticing how well carved it was.

They must have… paid a lot of money to have it this designed.

In the center, a name was carved, as well as dates.

_Seiko Shinohara 1996-2010_

_A motherly sister and a wonderful daughter_

_Rest in Peace_

She couldn’t believe it. The world knew. And she was never aware of it. This was her best friend’s grave. Her body was never found…

How had the past fourteen years played out? Now that the curse was forever broken… had the past changed as well? Were they not… insane people as everybody had called them out to be? But at that moment, none of those questions lingered in her mind. All that mattered was that her best friend was not a haunting nightmare. She was put to rest, and always forgave the older brunette for her mistake.

Because…

She loved her…

What had plagued Naomi’s mind for years…

now became a blissful goodbye.

_…No hard feelings…_

_Somewhere… in a small village…_

A skull, almost reptilian-like, laid there on the ground, in a person’s yard. The homeowner had bought it off a yard sale. The woman selling the items had warned the man of the skull’s mysterious power. But he didn’t listen. He was never superstitious. He glanced at it as he went to his car. He chuckled before getting in the vehicle and driving away, leaving his home empty. When he was gone, and out of sight. The skull started to shiver as black, thick smoke rose around it, streaming into the air.

Then suddenly…

Two red pupils appeared in the eyeholes.

_The end?_

**Author's Note:**

> Finally decided to bring this over to AO3! This is my most successful project yet, and I hope you enjoy this too!


End file.
